(Credits: Best of Netflix / Netflix)

The sky is not the limit for Netflix. It never was. Much of that was already evident with its newfound partnership with NASA this year. Now, Netflix has taken a step further in the streaming game, forging a landmark alliance with the top Middle East broadcaster, MBC Group. As a result of this historic collaboration, Netflix will play alongside its Shahid streamer on MBC’s recently launched MBCNOW platform.

This bundle will now have Netflix and Shahid under a single subscription alongside MBC’s linear TV channels. The collaboration will apply to subscribers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The latest carriage deal is riding the same rails as recent agreements between major European TV networks and streaming giants. Starting with Netflix’s deal with French broadcaster TF1, to Prime Video’s partnership with France Télévisions, and Disney+’s collaboration with Britain’s ITV.

According to global analyst Omdia (via Variety), in December 2024, Shahid, the top streamer in the MENA region, had 4.4million subscribers while Netflix had 3million. “This groundbreaking partnership is one for the books,” said Fadel Zahreddine, group director of emerging media at MBC Group. An alliance so trailblazing as the one between Netflix and Shahid has never been seen before in Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region.

So, speaking of the newfound partnership, they were already over the moon in regards to what’s to come. Meanwhile, MBC Group’s director of distribution and TV products, Bhanu Chaddha, chimed in, saying, “This is definitely the future of streaming and content consumption.” While Netflix has been meticulously expanding its digital footprint, the prospect of this collaboration sparks curiosity about what the future of streaming entails.

This partnership clubs Netflix’s content library with Shahid’s collection of Arabic films, TV shows, and documentaries, including many original productions. Customers who purchase the deal will culminate in a savings of more than or “21% compared to individual subscriptions.”

The Saudi government reportedly holds a lion’s share of MBC with a 60% stake, while the remaining 40% is in the hands of Waleed bin Ibrahim Al-Ibrahim, the MBC group chairman and founder. According to Omdia, the OTT subscription market across the MENA region is led by MBC Group’s Shahid. In 2024 alone, it generated $1.2billion in revenues. Hence, with Netflix stepping in just in time for the streaming boost, this partnership seems to be written in the stars.