StartUpArabia

Etisalat just announced the launch of ‘Internet TV’ in association with MBC Group, to provide television content over the Internet. The company tied up with MBC to enable online viewing of the top nine programmes being aired by MBC during the month of Ramadan through the satellite and mobile TV. MBC began using the Etisalat ‘Internet TV’ beginning Wednesday 10 September 2008 on their mbc.net portal.

A first such initiative in the region, the Internet TV will change the way broadcasters showcase content and customers view content. Internet TV will enable hundreds of millions of MBC viewers around the world to view their favorite programmes online, in case they missed them when they were aired or simply want to watch them again. The customers can select the videos from the website and watch the programme online, at no charge.

Commenting on the launch, Essa Al Haddad, Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat said: “Etisalat has always endeavored to leverage technology and convergence to provide a unique experience and unlimited reach to its customers. We believe that Internet TV will not only create a paradigm shift in the way broadcasters showcase content and customers view content, it will also create a new customer segments of the future: the online customer, the mobile customer and the interactive customer. I do foresee new business avenues opening up for broadcasters and content providers to create unique content catering to these diverse customer segments and providing them the best of what they require.”

“This partnership between mbc group and Etisalat marks the deal’s regional if not global significance” said Dr Ammar Bakkar, Head of New Media at MBC Group, “It is an alliance between two of the biggest companies in media and telecom respectively which aims to provide special content over the internet during the month of Ramadan. The success of this venture will hopefully offer new opportunities for our viewers to interact with our infotainment.”

The Internet TV solution, also known as the ‘Over-The-Top’ video distribution, gives broadcasters and content owners the ability to upload their videos onto the Etisalat network, manage their content and ensure effective content delivery through mobile phones, PC or notebook, television, and even kiosks.

“It is exciting to be a part of such innovative solutions that Etisalat team is proactively providing to this market. Our partnership with a broadcaster like MBC Group through the Internet TV platform not only gives end-users a new way of interacting with media but also provides an opportunity for broadcasters such as MBC to customize and create new online service offerings thereby creating new avenues for earning incremental revenues”, commented Mohammed Al Mulla, Director of Digital Media Services, Etisalat, who manages the team responsible for the development and implementation of the new Internet TV solution.