Saeed Haider Saudi Gazette IT was a unique fusion of Hollywood and Arabic Cinema and TV in Dubai. If Antonio Banderas sporting a beard skipped the heartbeats of hundreds of women then young Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones fame) mesmerized the audience with her sheer wide-eyed looks. While Saba Mubarak with her elegance and beauty had the audience under her spell, then Bassem Youssef of Egypt created a ripple among the audience with his stand up comedy as Middle East's leading Pay-TV network OSN rolled out the red carpet in Dubai's Jumeirah Zabeel Saray Resort on Monday to launch its new line-up for 2016. The glittering evening of entertainment was hosted by Egyptian comedian Youssuf and featured Hollywood heartthrobs Antonio Banderas and Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams, as well as leading Arabic figures George Kordahi, Omar Hussein, Ahmed Sahab, Hassan Asiri, Yamour, Saba Mubarak, Amir Karaka and Dina Koraim, Shady Alfons, Khaled Mansour, Bassem Moughniegh, Amr Youssef, Abed Fahd, Asala Nasry and Tarek Al Eryan, Bassel Khayyat, Magie Bou Ghosn and Jamal Sannan, Ahmed Helmy, Abdul Mohsin Al Nimer, Zaynab Salbi and Hayat Al Fahd. Realistically it was who's who of Arabic entertainment industry. The event provided a sneak preview of OSN's exclusive new programming line-up for 2016, the launch of three new channels and innovative experiences that will further add to the anywhere, anytime television experience of family viewers across the Middle East and North Africa region. OSN declared that 2016 will see over 50 new and exclusive shows plus 70 continuing series premiering only on OSN. Over 25 of the biggest and award-winning shows will premiere at the same time in the United States so OSN viewers get to see the most talked about shows first. OSN will also launch a dedicated channel that will showcase all HBO's exclusive content including groundbreaking award-winning series, talk shows, comedy specials and documentaries. The long-term deal also marks the expansion of OSN's On Demand service with more than 2,000 hours of HBO programming including more than a thousand hours of complete box sets of HBO series, available to watch anytime, anywhere. Deals have been signed with Eagle Films and Gulf Film, which has seen OSN buy out the transactional window for over 300 blockbuster movies, weeks after their theatrical release. Earlier at a press conference which was also attended by Hollywood and Arab film and TV celebrities, David Butorac, CEO of OSN, said: "We are strengthening our operations in 2016 with a focus on transforming the industry by bringing innovative content and services that will further elevate our subscriber experiences." He said our success is underpinned by a deep commitment to bring exceptional programming, first-access to premium content, new HD channels, and inventive technology that surpass the expectations of our subscribers. The unparalleled breadth of exclusive programming will position OSN as the definitive network for all home entertainment. OSN claims that the new programming has been developed after extensive market research that revealed the television viewing habits and aspirations of the people. Their preference to watch cutting edge content at the same time it is telecast in the US or UK is already a reality with OSN. But we are pushing the envelope and adding a wider portfolio of original and exclusive programming — movies, sports, series, children's entertainment and infotainment — as well as working with the very best international names to bring fantastic local content to Arabic viewers in 2016." Viewers can look forward to the biggest and best award-winning shows, including: Game of Thrones, Ballers, The Brink, True Detective, Girls, Silicon Valley and Veep, among prime series; the extremely popular Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and several mini-series including Show Me a Hero. One of the biggest and most eagerly awaited shows to launch in 2016 is Saturday Night Live Arabia, which will be available exclusively on OSN. As the home of premium Arabic content in true HD, OSN will also provide the exclusive first opportunity to watch the incredible story of Kosem Sultan (from the producers of Hareem Al Sultan) depicting one of the most powerful women in Ottoman history. New launches also include Discovery's Nida'a Show — ‘a voice and platform for Arabic women' that will air in October this year only on TLC HD channel. OSN is working closely with leading international channels to invest in local content for Arabic viewers, complementing the extensive offering already available. During 2016, OSN is also bringing world-class content through its long-term partnerships with some of the world's biggest kids, factual and family entertainment providers. Most of the content is provided in English and Arabic, either dubbed or with subtitles. OSN is complementing the deep interest for sports in the region by getting straight to the heart of the action of major sporting events — be it football, athletics, cricket, rugby or golf — in 2016. It is the go-to place to watch outstanding coverage of events such as The European 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, The Arabian Gulf League, Golf's Ryder Cup, The ICC World T20, The IPL and the biggest event of the Year the 2016 Olympic Games from Rio.
