Qatari beIN media group and Dubai-based film distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment have renewed an ongoing first run deal for another three years until 2027.
Under the accord, beIN has secured exclusive pay one window rights to up to 300 movie titles for its linear and subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services across the Middle East and North African region.
Titles covered by the deal include Better Man, Priscilla, Anatomy of a Fall, The Night of the Zoopocalypse, La Cocina, Ezra, Mother’s Instinct, Bad Genius, Ezra, Riddick: Furya; The Smashing Machine, Parthenope, and the upcoming Cliffhanger reboot, on which Front Row is a backer.
“Front Row Filmed Entertainment has been an important partner ever since beIN expanded its portfolio to include entertainment content, so we are very pleased to be continuing this relationship,” said Esra Altop, Chief Entertainment Content Officer at beIN.
“The partnership with Front Row Filmed Entertainment aligns with beIN’s continued strategic push into the entertainment industry – particularly featuring and producing exceptional original content across our group of companies, especially our OTT platform TOD,” he added.
Front Row CEO Gianluca Chakra said he was “thrilled” his company’s movies would continue to be available on the beIN channels across the region.
”We aim to continue a strong partnership with the beIN team, catering to their large and dedicated audience. We will also keep striving to reach new audiences in the region through creative acquisitions – which we are best known for. This deal is a testament to recognition.” he said.
Front Row acquires more than 120 independent feature films a year worldwide. In partnership with Empire Entertainment, they also set up Front Row Productions focused on Arab-language productions.
Titles to date include the Arab-language remake of Perfect Strangers (2022) and The Sandcastle starring Nadine Labaki and Ziad Bakri, which is currently in post-production.
Production is also underway on crime-thriller Boomah directed by Zaid Abu Hamdan (Daughters of Abdel-Rahman) and starring Rakeen Saad, best known for her role in Netflix’s Al Rawabi School for Girls.
