BeIN Media Group branches out into original series with Turkish commission

BeIN Media Group has commissioned its first Turkish original series, with a commitment to launch a number of other original series over the next 12 months.

The 13-episode drama series, The Choice, is directed by Uluç Bayraktar and written by Nüket Bıçakçı and Özlem Yücel and starring by Halit Ergenç, Ozan Güven, Aslı Enver, Birce Akalay, Nur Fettahoğlu and Mesut Akusta. It will be released later this year on BeIN Connect, the OTT TV platform that operates in Turkey alongside the main pay TV offering of Digitürk, the platform that BeIN Media acquired in 2016.

The series has been produced by Ay Yapim for Digitürk. According to BeIN, the show required significant investment from it, highlighting its commitment to growing the entertainment arm of the business, which sits alongside BeIN Sports, its high-profile premium sports offering.

“Our ambition is to become one of the leading entertainment groups in the world and the production of The Choice, the first Turkish original series commissioned by beIN, is testament to that as we can create outstanding pieces of original content,” said Yousef Al-Oblaidy, CEO of BeIN Media.

“Thanks to our exclusive partnerships with a range of Hollywood entertainment houses, and our very own Miramax studios, beIN holds an extensive library of blockbusters while having a growing presence in series and movies production and distribution. It’s a hugely exciting time for everyone in our entertainment business and for all our consumers around the world, with more original content to be produced in the next 12 months.“