Streaming service STARZPLAY saw 141% growth in unique users in April

STARZPLAY, a subscription video on demand service in the MENA region, reported a robust and durable growth of 141% in the number of unique users during April 2020, when the Covid-19 crisis peaked in the region, according to a new study  titled The Rise and Rise of Streaming Video in the MENA Market. Conducted by PSB Research, the study examined SVOD trends over a period from January 2019 to May 2020, covering two key phases, the Covid-19 situation that led to lockdowns and Ramadan, when home-entertainment typically spikes in the region. The findings were presented in a detailed report at a virtual media briefing by Maaz Sheikh, Co-founder and CEO of STARZPLAY, attended by senior officials of the company.

The report presents streaming video trends under three broad divisions: SVOD in the new reality following the Covid-19 crisis, SVOD growth trends during Ramadan, and overall content and consumption trends. Each offers compelling insights on how the entertainment landscape has been transformed by STARZPLAY, a homegrown platform that records year-on-year and durable growth in its number of unique users.

The UAE is the largest growth market for STARZPLAY with users growing 70% year-on-year and number of hours by user increasing nearly 80%. The nation also has one of the lowest ratios of new subscribers to carry-over users even during Covid-19, a strong indicator of growth via retention and the future potential of the market in addition to an increase in STARZPLAY content consumption on TV during Covid-19.

Maaz Sheikh said the independently conducted study by PSB provides new and informed insights on how the region has adapted to streaming video and the growing popularity of STARZPLAY’s balanced portfolio of content, both in Arabic and English.

In top findings, the study observes that STARZPLAY has recorded strong and sustained growth in the number of unique users from 2019, peaking at 141% during the peak of Covid-19, when severe travel restrictions and lockdowns were enforced in key markets. Between January 2019 and April 2020, STARZPLAY’s active user base increased by 141%.

The direct influence of Covid-19 on STARZPLAY’s user base was also evaluated. The number of new subscribers across all markets increased by 58% between February and April 2020, and continued to maintain growth levels in May, higher than the pre-Covid months.

Subscribers also consumed more content during Covid-19, with an increase of 50% in streaming hours per unique user. Prior to the pandemic, STARZPLAY users averaged around 12 hours per month in 2019. However, consumption increased to 13 hours in February 2020, 15 hours in March and 17 hours in April. More of its subscribers watched STARZPLAY content in May 2020 too, recording a peak of 19 hours, coinciding with Ramadan.

The key finding on consumption trends during Ramadan is that while Ramadan 2019 had the lowest usage by STARZPLAY subscribers during the year, 2020 saw streaming levels spike. A week-on-week comparison of the four weeks Ramadan in 2019 and 2020, indicate a significant surge in consumption of STARZPLAY content by its users. The total consumption of STARZPLAY content during Ramadan 2020 more than tripled compared to the same period in 2019.

In overall content and consumption trends, STARZPLAY reinforced its position as a primetime player in entertainment with bulk of viewing taking place during evening and night. Further, though English content remains the dominant choice, Arabic content doubled its share of total consumption reaching a peak in the early stages of the pandemic. On average, the hours streamed in Arabic has increased from just about 5% in January 2019 to about 10% in January 2020. Five times more Arabic content was streamed during Covid-19 months than at the start of the year.