 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | |
| Predecessor | |
| Founded | 12 July 2009; 16 years ago (2009-07-12) inDubai,UAE |
Area served | Middle East and North Africa (MENA) |
Key people |
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| Products | |
| Services |
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| Owner | Panther Media Group |
| Website | www |
OSN (Orbit Showtime Network) is a media and entertainment company based in theMiddle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with its headquarters inDubai. The company was formed in 2009 through the merger ofOrbit Communications Company andShowtime Arabia.[1] OSN offers both adirect-broadcast satellite service, known as OSN TV, and avideo streaming service, OSN+.
The company is owned and operated by Panther Media Group, aholding company registered in theDubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). Its primary shareholders are theKIPCO (Kuwait Projects Company) and theSaudi Arabian-basedMawarid Group.[2]
OSN was established in 2009 by the merger of two of the region's largestpay-TV operators:Showtime Arabia andOrbit Communications Company.[3]
OSN announced in November 2023 that it would merge its streaming service, OSN+, withAnghami Inc., the leading music and entertainment streaming platform in the MENA region.[4] The transaction, which was completed in April 2024, resulted in OSN Group becoming the majority shareholder in Anghami with a 55.45% stake.[4] The deal valued OSN+ at $365 million and Anghami at $139 million.[5] Elie Habib, a co-founder of Anghami, was appointed as the CEO of the combined entity. The merger created a comprehensive entertainment platform with over 120 million registered users, combining OSN+'s library of 18,000 hours of video content with Anghami's catalog of over 100 million songs and podcasts.[6]
On 24 March 2025,Warner Bros. Discovery made a minority investment in OSN's subsidiary, OSN Streaming Ltd. This deepened the long-standing content partnership between the two companies, where OSN serves as the exclusive regional distributor forHBO and other WBD content.[7]
In May 2025, OSN partnered with theadvertising technology companyMagnite to launch addressable advertising across its satellite andvideo-on-demand services. This allows for targeted ads to be delivered to OSN'sset-top boxes, a first for the company and a significant development in the region's television advertising market.[8]
The company's first direct-to-consumer streaming platform was launched in August 2017 under the name Wavo.[9]
OSN+ is a subscription streaming service that launched under its current name in March 2022.[10]
In January 2022, OSN renewed its exclusive licensing agreement withHBO, ensuring it remains the sole regional carrier for HBO's programming.[11] During the same period, it expanded its partnership withNBCUniversal to add content from thePeacock streaming service andSky Studios.[10] OSN also has deals withEndeavor Content andAll3Media to license premium series.[12]
In addition to licensed international content, the service develops originalArabic-language productions under the "OSN Originals" banner, including an adaptation of the US seriesSuits.[13]
Showtime Arabia and Orbit have merged to create a new company that will offer 70 exclusive channels with new movies, sports and series, the firms said in an emailed statement on Sunday.
The company is owned and operated by Panther Media Group, registered in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and has two shareholders, KIPCO and the Mawarid Group Limited.
