Television shows head to internet and mobiles

Popular television shows are heading for the smaller screen, with the Middle East's largest broadcaster taking its content to the internet and mobile phones. After offering its popular Ramadan soap operas online this month, MBC is moving at full speed to offer entertainment over new mediums, with a new internet-only comedy show launching next month. "This is an important new initiative," said Ammar Bakkar, the head of new media at MBC. "Online is a major brand extension for MBC. When our audience goes online, we want them to stay attached to our brand."

After a period of caution due to piracy and copyright concerns in the early days of online broadcasting, content owners such as television networks and film studios are moving quickly onto the internet, acknowledging that the medium is now a central platform for their audiences. The development of a viable online advertising market - estimated to be worth at least US$50 billion (Dh184bn) globally this year - has played a part. So, too, has the emergence of viable internet-based entertainment businesses like Apple's iTunes Music Store, which is now the world's largest music retailer.

"We are still in the age of experimentation, and so far this has been a great experiment. We may be luckier than other websites because we already have a strong set of advertisers," said Dr Bakkar. The Dubai-based property developer Nakheel, which was a sponsor of the televised series Bab el Hara (Gate to the Alley) also sponsored the online broadcast of the popular Syrian show. "In 2007-2008 we saw a real change of attitude among advertisers and marketing managers," said Dr Bakkar. "They really started to believe in online advertising, and a lot of agencies now have established digital departments, which makes it much easier."

Etisalat, which partnered with MBC to launch the online television service, also sees advertising in the new medium reaching maturity. Mohammed al Mulla, who heads its new media department, said the internet and mobile phones offered advertisers clarity and precision in targeting viewers. "These technologies give you real statistics, exact viewer numbers, what countries they are from, how long they watched for, where they came from," he said. "It is a lot of detail, which you can't get from other media."

As part of its partnership with MBC, Etisalat offered its subscribers "mobisodes" of the network's Ramadan soaps. Viewers could watch condensed four-minute summaries of episodes that were airing the next day, streamed to their phone over the mobile network. Interest in the condensed episodes was "much higher than we expected", according to Mr Mulla, but neither he nor Dr Bakkar would discuss viewer numbers.

Such content is broadcast over phone networks. But the new DVB-H mobile television standard adopted by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) will let licensed broadcasters transmit over public airwaves, direct to the phones of viewers. Mr Mulla said that while Etisalat intended to acquire a DVB-H licence, the interactive, on-demand aspects of television transmitted as data over mobile networks meant the format would remain relevant. "We are building our own entertainment offering and we want to work with everybody," he said.

tgara@thenational.ae