No more separate subscription services: OTT platforms on E-Vision from next year

Avid TV watchers in the UAE have something to cheer about. The days of niggling aches over separate subscription services to OTT platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video will soon be over.

E-Vision is offering a one-stop shop for all these streaming platforms. Starting next year, they can watch their favourite movies and TV serials being shown on OTT platforms on E-Vision without having to subscribe to the OTT platforms separately. The one-stop shop for these OTT streaming services will be launched next year, Zahra Zayat, Chief Commercial Officer, E-Vision, told WAM.

"Subscription fatigue of customers” [compulsion to subscribe to several streaming services at a time] has prompted E-Vision to launch a consolidated service, she said in an interview with WAM at the Global Media Congress in Abu Dhabi. She explained that such a consolidation can technically be done overnight, but there is huge resistance from international OTT players in the market.

"They do not want to be next to their competitors, especially weaker ones. From our side, we want our customers get direct access to them [all OTT services together]. Sometimes customers can access them through their mobile phone numbers. So, we have found a way to do it,” Zayat revealed.

"It is an opportunity to create a clear winner in the market, aggregating all streaming services under one umbrella as a one-stop shop,” she emphasised. Asked about the practicability of such a solution, given the resistance from the OTT players, she said, "Once you start onboarding some platforms, others will fear to remain stand alone.”

"We are actually open to everyone. Because we have a fragmented customer base in terms of language and taste. So, we truly want everyone,” stressed the senior executive.