Targets broadcasters and content owners with twofour54 partners as the first to benefit.

Red Bee Media, part of the Ericsson Group will be rolling out new over-the-top (OTT) digital TV and film services to broadcasters and media owners across the Middle East, from its base at twofour54 in Abu Dhabi.

The firm’s OTT platform provides TV and video content straight to a customer’s device and gives broadcasters the ability to stream live events in high quality, while being able to shift from live to on-demand options. The specialised platform provides viewers with access to a variety of content and once utilised, will enable broadcasters to deliver live programmes to the market within three minutes. The services are already widely used in other markets such as the USA and Europe and the additional offer will give providers in the Middle East the chance to offer their customers the latest technology.

Red Bee Media has maintained a base in the city since 2015 at twofour54, the media hub for Abu Dhabi. The growth in its services will allow broadcasters and media outlets to deliver high-quality TV and video content to mobile and fixed devices, over the internet. the new services will enable users to pick and choose their exact set of capabilities to address viewers’ changing needs, and launch new business models in response. The services’ open interface integrates seamlessly with existing systems, as well as those of any third-party service providers, in a secure manner.

Her Excellency Maryam Eid Al Mheiri, CEO of the Media Zone Authority – Abu Dhabi and twofour54, said: “twofour54 exists to provide a supportive environment for global media companies to expand their services across the Middle East, so it’s pleasing to see Red Bee Media grow their offer to customers from Abu Dhabi and across the region.

“We want to encourage and support the evolution of media content, while enhancing the quality of the coverage and broadcasting in the region. We are keen to see more media companies in the region take up the opportunity and roll out additional services to audiences across the Middle East.”

Red Bee already offers more than 230 OTT channels live on the platforms of its broadcast customers; alongside more than 115 OTT channels streamed from the managed platform; with 20,000 hours of live programming played every week and more than 1.7 million subscribers using the platform every month. It is expected that the services will continue to prove popular in the Middle East, with the subscriber range expected to increase as a result.

Houssam Al Khaled, Head of Operations and Sales for the Middle East of Red Bee Media, said:
“We are already recognised as a market leading managed OTT services provider around the world but we’re keen to grow our offer to broadcasters and content owners in the Middle East.

“We are aiming to differentiate our value as a strategic, global partner for the media industry in this region and the managed OTT solution suits the needs of both niche content producers with a smaller audience to established multi-million user broadcasters.

“twofour54 gives us a base to approach more regional operators and ensure that their individual requirements are successfully managed and expanded from region.”