Amazon University Esports has teamed up with Shahid, MBC Group’s first video-on-demand (VOD) service in the Arab world.
This collaboration merges two of the most popular forms of entertainment today, esports and broadcast TV, and promises to enhance the experience for young users of both platforms.
Mario Perez, CEO of MENATech, the AUE project host in the region, said the partnership will empower the two ecosystems with great potential.
“Esports and streaming platforms are growing significantly in the MENA region, thanks to an increasingly young population and an increasingly virtual world,” he said.
For their part, Natasha Matos-Hemingway, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at Shahid, highlighted that the partnership with Amazon University Esports will undoubtedly enhance the gaming experience for players across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“Through collaborations of this kind, we are confident that we can help contribute to the ambitious National Gaming and Esports Strategy, which aims to make Saudi Arabia a global centre for gaming and esports by 2030. This collaboration is a positive step forward for both Shahid and Amazon UNIVERSITY Esports; we cannot wait to see what the future holds for esports in the GCC and MENA region,” said Matos-Hemingway
Since its launch in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Amazon UNIVERSITY Esports has experienced significant growth in the number of participants, universities involved, and events organised, establishing itself as a key player in the esports industry in the region.
The project is currently expanding across 16 countries on 4 continents, and is being hosted in the region by MENA Tech Entertainment, a subsidiary of GGTech Entertainment.
Shahid, which is part of the MBC GROUP, is a global entertainment platform catering to Arabs across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and beyond. It boasts the largest collection of Arabic content, including original movies and series, newly-released films, documentaries, live TV channels, sports content, and an extensive range of educational and entertaining content for children.
Saudi Arabia’s gaming industry has been experiencing rapid growth, largely due to the country hosting several e-sports events. With a population of nearly 40 million in Saudi Arabia, and over half being below 25 years old, the gaming revenues have been increasing.
Moreover, the MENA region, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, is projected to surpass $5 billion in e-sports revenue by 2025.
