Mideast streaming service Starzplay eyes going public in 2-3 years: CEO

Mideast streaming service Starzplay eyes going public in 2-3 years: CEO

Starzplay Arabia, an Abu Dhabi-based streaming platform, expects to go public in the next two or three years, its chief executive said on Thursday.Starzplay is among the global and regional streaming players vying for a share of the burgeoning Middle East market, hoping to tap into the region’s large youth population and take advantage of low penetration.

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Disney+ will launch in the Middle East and North Africa next week after previously having its content available on OSN, another regional pay television and online streaming platform.Starzplay has roughly 2.2 million subscribers, up from just shy of 2 million at the end of 2021, CEO Maaz Sheikh told Reuters in an interview.“The investment that’s coming in now, and the partnerships we have in place now, should be enough to grow the business in the next two to three years to the point where we can list it and take it public,” Sheikh said.All options, including an initial public offering or direct listing, will be considered, he said.“If I look at it today, in the current environment and the current scenario, a SPAC wouldn't be the route we would pick,” Sheikh