CBeebies to make Middle East and North Africa debut

BBC pre-school channel CBeebies is due to launch in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for the first time as a full channel service in April.

The children’s network will be available exclusively with an English audio feed to subscribers of satellite TV service beIN on channel 134, broadcasting 24-hours a day.

“CBeebies is the number one channel for pre-schoolers in the UK, and that success has spread internationally – from Australia to South Africa. We have a fantastic line-up of brand new programmes for viewers in the Middle East & North Africa region which we know will entertain and educate local pre-schoolers in equal measure,” said Natasha Hussain, vice-president and general manager for the Middle East and Mediterranean region, BBC Worldwide.

Yousef Al-Obaidly, deputy CEO beIN Media Group said: “beIN is focused on providing wide range of exclusive and premium content for children.  This is in line with our vision of catering to the needs of whole family.  Our partnership with BBC enhances our kids entertainment portfolio even further.”

CBeebies is already available in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Mexico, Poland, South Africa and in Latin America.