CJ ENM partners with MBC Group to expand K-content in MENA

CJ ENM signed a strategic partnership with MBC Group on 13th at MIPCOM CANNES 2026 to supply K-content, including 13 new titles and 20 library titles, through a new TVING brand hub on the MBC Shahid platform.

CJ ENM is set to target the K-content market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by partnering with MBC Group, a leading media company in the area. The company plans to expand its reach among local viewers through a strategic partnership spanning from streaming platforms (OTT) to broadcast channels.

CJ ENM announced on the 14th that it signed a strategic partnership with MBC Group for the supply of K-content at MIPCOM CANNES 2026, a broadcasting and video content market held in Cannes, France, on the 13th. A core element of this cooperation is the establishment of a "TVING brand hub" within MBC Group's OTT platform, MBC Shahid, which operates across 24 regions in MENA.

Sequential release of major library including 13 new titles

The TVING brand hub will serve as a gateway to showcase carefully selected premium content, including CJ ENM and TVING originals, alongside content from major domestic production companies. A total of 13 new titles scheduled for release in 2026 and 20 major library titles from CJ ENM will be supplied sequentially.

The main lineup includes the romantic comedy My Bias, My Boss, as well as Filing for Love and Our Universe. TVING original series such as The Legend of Kitchen Soldier and Judge Lee Han-young will also reach local viewers. CJ ENM plans to expand content provided with Arabic dubbing and subtitles, and for the latest dramas, it intends to release them in the MENA region simultaneously with their Korean release.

Content distribution channels will not be limited to OTT. The company will also strengthen its presence through broadcast channels by exclusively supplying CJ ENM content to MBC4, a representative channel of MBC Group, for a certain period. The two companies plan to expand cooperation into various fields, including original storytelling, diversification of original IP, and the production of content, media, and entertainment.

Expanding Middle East market presence via Saudi Arabian entity

CJ ENM is expanding its business by designating the MENA region—which has a high proportion of young people and rapidly increasing demand for K-content—as a next-generation global content hub. Last year, the company established a Middle East entity in Saudi Arabia, marking the first time a domestic entertainment company has done so, thereby building a local business foundation. Centered on this, the company is pursuing business expansion covering the entirety of K-culture, including music, TV programs, and films, in addition to content distribution.

The operation of brand hubs through partnerships with global platforms is also active. Last year, a TVING brand hub was introduced to 17 regions in the Asia-Pacific via HBO Max, and the company is expanding its global viewer reach by operating a "TVING Collection" on Disney+ in Japan.

Kim Do-hyeon, head of the CJ ENM Content Distribution BU, stated that expanding cooperation from content supply last year to the TVING brand hub this year is a meaningful achievement that once again confirms the competitiveness and growth potential of Korean content in the Middle East market. Tareq Alibrahim, content director for MBC1, MBC DRAMA, and MBC Shahid, noted that by presenting Korean content through the TVING brand hub and broadcast channels on MBC Shahid, they will be able to provide even broader and higher-quality content to Arabic-speaking viewers.

Source: cjenm.com