Byron Allen targeting Middle East after securing du deal

US producer and channel provider Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group division Entertainment Studios has secured carriage for seven of its global television networks in the United Arab Emirates on the Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC)-owned du telecom platform.

Allen said that this distribution deal, which was facilitated by SAWA Rights Management, is part of a wider arrangement that will soon extend to other Middle East territories, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.

Dubai-based SAWA Rights Management represents TV Channels and content from a number of regional and International licensors including Fox Networks Group (Disney), Lagardère, France TV, RTL, Channel One Russia, OSN, MBC and Rotana.

Allen’s lifestyle networks focus on travel, automotive, culinary, pets, comedy, celebrity entertainment, and courtroom drama genres.

The channels to be distributed on du are Cars.tv, Comedy.TV, entertainment news service ES.TV, travel-focused MyDestination.TV, Pets.TV, Recipe.TV and Justice Central.TV.

“The international demand for American content is a multi-billion dollar marketplace,” said Tom Devlin, President of International Television Sales/Marketing for Entertainment Studios. “We are excited to bring our portfolio of family-friendly lifestyle networks and programming to the Middle East and North Africa television markets for the first time as we continue to expand our network brands worldwide.”