What Rotana.net does

Rotana is the Arab World's largest entertainment company, operating as a privately-held media conglomerate under Rotana Holding and headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Founded in 1987, the company operates a portfolio spanning free-to-air and encrypted television broadcasting, film production and distribution, music production and licensing, and direct-to-consumer digital streaming. Its three core operating subsidiaries — Rotana Studios (film), Rotana Music Group (music), and the Rotana TV Network (broadcasting) — collectively form an integrated Arabic content ecosystem.

The company operates 17+ TV channels including Rotana Cinema KSA, Rotana Cinema Masr, Rotana Classic, Rotana Drama, Rotana Khalijea HD, Rotana Kids, Rotana Aflam+, Rotana Comedy, Rotana HD, Rotana Clip, Rotana Music, M+ HD, Al Resalah, LBC, Rotana Cinema France, and Rotana Cinema USA. Its digital distribution layer includes the rotana.net streaming platform with live TV, video-on-demand, and an interactive TV guide, plus iOS and Android mobile applications. Underlying technology assets include the largest Arabic film library (~2,000 classic titles, approximately one-third of all Arabic films ever produced), a music catalog of 20,000 songs with rights to more than 70% of Arab superstars, and a film restoration capability developed in partnership with Prasad Corporation to preserve 1,650 Egyptian classic films.

Rotana's revenue model spans four streams: advertising from free-to-air channels (Rotana Cinema KSA, Rotana Cinema Masr); subscription and VOD from premium encrypted channels and streaming; music licensing and royalties including a distribution partnership with Warner Music Group; and content distribution fees from supplying Arabic films to third-party TV and streaming platforms across TVOD, SVOD, FTA, and VOD windows. The company serves broad Arab audiences across the MENA region, the GCC, Egypt, the French-speaking Arab market, and the North American Arab diaspora, targeting consumers directly through its owned platforms and indirectly through channel partners such as MBC Group.

Name

Rotana.net

Legal name

Rotana

Website

https://rotana.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Rotana is the Arab World's largest entertainment conglomerate, operating 17+ TV channels, the largest Arabic film and music libraries, and a direct-to-consumer streaming platform serving Arab audiences across MENA, GCC, Egypt, and global diaspora markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arabic Media & Entertainment

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Home Entertainment Distribution (Digital: TVOD/EST) (MPADAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Enterprise/Creator Video Hosting & OTT SaaS Platforms (MPACAAAL), Islamic Broadcasting (MPABALAG)

Keywords

• Arabic media broadcasting
• Video streaming services
• Music distribution rights
• Film production licensing
• TV channel network

Headquarters

HQ city

Riyadh

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Free-to-Air Broadcasting: Rotana Cinema KSA and Rotana Cinema Masr operate as free-to-air channels, generating revenue through advertising and brand partnerships while offering Arabic movies to broad audiences without subscription fees.
2. Subscription/VOD Services: Premium subscription-based streaming services offering HD content, exclusive premieres, and ad-free viewing experiences across multiple platforms including web, mobile, and connected TVs.
3. Music Licensing and Distribution: Rotana Music Group licenses and distributes Arabic music globally, with Warner Music Group investment enabling international expansion of Arabic music content.
4. Content Distribution: Rotana Studios serves as the main supplier of Arabic Films for traditional TV channels and streaming platforms, distributing content across all windows including TVOD, SVOD, FTA, and VOD.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Rotana is the Arab world's largest entertainment company, operating a portfolio of free-to-air and encrypted TV channels, a digital streaming platform (web and mobile apps), and the largest Arabic film and music libraries. It produces, acquires, distributes, and licenses Arabic-language movies, TV programs, and music content to audiences across the MENA region, GCC, and the Arab diaspora in North America and France.

Product overview

Rotana is a comprehensive media and entertainment platform and the Arab world's largest entertainment company, operating as a unified platform-plus-portfolio architecture. The offering comprises: the Rotana TV Network (16+ TV channels including Rotana Cinema KSA, Rotana Cinema Masr, Rotana Drama, Rotana Music, Rotana Kids, Rotana Aflam+, Rotana Classic, Rotana Comedy, Rotana Khalijea HD, Rotana Cinema France, Rotana Cinema USA, Rotana HD, LBC, Al Resalah, Rotana Clip, and M+ HD); Rotana Studios (film production, distribution, and content licensing holding the largest Arabic film library with ~2,000 titles and 60% market share of first-run movies); Rotana Music Group (music production/distribution with 20,000 songs catalog and rights to 70%+ of Arab superstars); and the Rotana+ streaming platform accessible via web, iOS, and Android. The portfolio serves audiences across MENA, French-speaking markets, and the Arab diaspora in North America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rotana Studios: Film production, acquisition, distribution and monetization division; largest Arabic film library
• Rotana Music Group
• Rotana Cinema
• Rotana TV

Products and services

• Rotana Studios Film production, acquisition, distribution, and monetization division; owns the largest Arabic film library with approximately 2,000 classic titles and over 60% market share of first-run movies in the Arab world. Distributes content across TVOD, SVOD, FTA, and VOD windows.
• Rotana Music Group World's largest Arabic music production, aggregation, and distribution company; catalogue of 20,000 songs and rights to more than 70% of superstar singers in the Arab world, including artists such as Mohammad Abdo, Abdul Majeed Abdullah, Nawal, and Angham.
• Rotana TV Network Network of 17+ TV channels including Rotana Cinema KSA, Rotana Cinema Masr, Rotana Comedy, Rotana Classic, Rotana Drama, Rotana Khalijea HD, LBC, Rotana Kids, Rotana Aflam+, Rotana Cinema France, Rotana HD, Rotana USA, Rotana Clip, Rotana Music, M+ HD, and Al Resalah; spans free-to-air, encrypted, and live streaming options.
• Rotana+ Streaming Platform Direct-to-consumer streaming platform with live TV, video-on-demand library, interactive TV guide, and HD content delivery; accessible via web, iOS, and Android mobile applications.
• Film Restoration Services Restoration and digitization of Egyptian classic films in partnership with Prasad Corporation; preserves Arabic cinematic heritage using industry expertise and technology.
• ARABWOOD Program Artistic news bulletin program covering artistic news in the Arab world, verifying rumors about artists, and reporting on international and Hollywood stars; available on the Rotana+ streaming platform.
• KORA Program Sports program reviewing the most important football events in Saudi sports, featuring analysis from sports critics in studio and via satellite.
• Rotana+ Mobile App Mobile application available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store, enabling users to access Rotana's live TV channels, on-demand content, and interactive TV guide on iOS and Android devices.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rotana Cinema established as number one Arabic movie channel in MENA region
• +2 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.

• Prasad CorporationstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Rotana entered into an agreement with Prasad Corporation to restore Egyptian classic films. An initiative to save Egypt's classic films began in 2014 and was revived and expanded to restore 1,650 Egyptian films, bringing together expertise and technology from around the world to preserve cinematic heritage.
• MBC GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEver Flourish Group is promoting Chinese storytelling content in the Arab world through partnerships with regional media groups such as MBC Group and Rotana. The initiative focuses on localization by dubbing content into Arabic and expanding distribution via TV and online platforms.
• Ever Flourish GroupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEver Flourish Group partners with Rotana and MBC Group to bring Chinese storytelling content to the Arab world, including animated series, mysteries, and mini dramas, with localization through Arabic dubbing.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Anghami: Anghami is the leading Arabic music streaming service in MENA, publicly listed via SPAC merger with VMHI. It competes with Rotana Music's streaming ambitions, holds rival rights to Arab artists, and increasingly commissions Arabic original music content.
• MBC Group: MBC Group is the largest free-to-air broadcaster in the Arab world and operates Shahid, the dominant MENA SVOD platform. It competes head-to-head with Rotana across Arabic TV channels, film rights, and streaming subscription services for the same MENA and diaspora audiences.
• OSN (Orbit Showtime Network): OSN is a major MENA pay-TV operator offering premium Western and Arabic content via satellite and streaming. It competes directly with Rotana's encrypted channel and SVOD offerings (M+ HD, ROTANA+) for premium Arab subscribers seeking Hollywood and premium Arabic entertainment.
• beIN Media Group: beIN operates pan-Arab pay-TV channels including beIN Movies and the TOD streaming platform, competing with Rotana in premium film licensing and sports-adjacent entertainment across MENA. It has comparable scale of distribution and similar advertiser/operator relationships.
• Shahid (MBC): Shahid is the leading Arabic SVOD/AVOD streaming service in MENA, operated by MBC Group. It is the most direct streaming competitor to Rotana+, competing on Arabic originals, exclusive films, and sports content for the same subscriber base.

Broad incumbents

• Al Jazeera Media Network: Al Jazeera operates Arabic and English TV channels, digital platforms, and AJ+ for younger audiences. While primarily news-focused, it competes for the same Arab broadcast advertising pools and increasingly expands into entertainment and documentary verticals that overlap with Rotana's content strategy.
• Spotify (MENA operations): Spotify is the world's largest music streaming platform and aggressively signs and promotes emerging Arab artists as Arabic music streaming grows. Rotana Music's 20,000-song catalog and 70%+ superstar rights is distributed in part through Spotify, positioning Spotify as both an indispensable channel and a competitive threat to Rotana-owned music services.
• Netflix MENA: Netflix operates a regional MENA service and has been commissioning Arabic originals (e.g., Paranormal, Jinn). As a global broad incumbent, it competes for the same SVOD wallet share as Rotana+ but with vastly larger technology, marketing, and original-content budgets across all MENA markets.

Regional players

• Deezer MENA: Deezer has historically had a meaningful Arabic music presence through partnerships with Rotana itself and other Arab labels. It is a regional music streaming peer whose MENA growth ambitions and label relationships overlap with Rotana Music's distribution strategy.
• Image Nation Abu Dhabi: Image Nation is Abu Dhabi-backed film and TV production company producing premium Arabic and international content. It is a regional peer competing for the same Arabic film rights and production budgets, primarily serving Gulf-state-aligned content pipelines rather than Rotana's broader MENA+diapora footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rotana
• Facebookfacebook.com/rotanaportal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rotana.net