BeIN Media boosts entertainment ambitions with Front Row deal

Al Jazeera-owned BeIN Media Group has signed a first-run output deal with Middle East film distributor Front Row Entertainment as it continues to diversify its offering an up its portfolio of entertainment content.

The five-year deal will see BeIN Media acquired rights to titles including It Follows, Snowden, Deephan and Free Fire.

Front Row managing director Gianluca Chandra described the deal as one of the biggest in the company’s history.

BeIN deputy CEO Yousef Al-Obaidly said that it was imperative for the company to align with independent content aggregators as it launched its entertainment portfolio.

BeIN Media unveiled a suite of entertainment channels last month to complement its sports offering. The company is offering 20 HD channels across multiple genres.

Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that Hollywood studio Miramax’s owners were in talks with BeIN Media to sell the company to the Qatar-based outfit, without naming its sources. Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, which also backs Al Jazeera, is an existing shareholder in the Hollywood studio.