Tuned Global just locked down another three years with e&'s Twist Music, and the streaming app is about to blow up across the UAE and Saudi Arabia after getting traction in Egypt. Con Raso from Tuned Global says telcos are basically becoming entertainment hubs themselves, with music acting as the sticky thing that keeps people from bouncing to other services.
The MENA region grew like crazy last year with streaming making up almost all the revenue, but Raso thinks the numbers hide how early-stage everything still is. He pointed out that in places like Egypt, telcos are the main gateway for people to pay for streaming since credit cards aren't super common yet.
The whole setup lets Twist mix international tracks with Arabic content while plugging into e&'s billing system, which standalone streamers can't really match. Raso figures most new paid subscriptions in the region will come through operator-bundled deals since they can mess around with pricing and actually invest in local artists instead of just copying global playlists.
The MENA region grew like crazy last year with streaming making up almost all the revenue, but Raso thinks the numbers hide how early-stage everything still is. He pointed out that in places like Egypt, telcos are the main gateway for people to pay for streaming since credit cards aren't super common yet.
The whole setup lets Twist mix international tracks with Arabic content while plugging into e&'s billing system, which standalone streamers can't really match. Raso figures most new paid subscriptions in the region will come through operator-bundled deals since they can mess around with pricing and actually invest in local artists instead of just copying global playlists.
