MBC Group, the Middle East’s leading broadcaster, reported that its full-year 2025 revenue will increase 28.5% year-on-year to 5.4 billion riyals ($1.43 billion), and annual net profit will rise 8.1% to 437.5 million riyals ($116.66 million), driven by double-digit growth in its Shaheed streaming service.
In addition to Mr. Shahid, MBC operates 19 free-to-air channels in the Middle East and North Africa, but it became directly owned by Saudi Arabia in September last year when Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) acquired a 54% stake for about $2 billion.
In a statement, MBC Group Chairman Waleed Al Ibrahim called the transaction, in which PIF became the largest shareholder, “a decisive milestone in the group’s evolution, strengthening its alignment with national priorities and establishing a stable long-term ownership framework rooted in Saudi Arabia’s long-term economic vision.” He also said the group’s 2025 performance reflects “the strength and resilience of our operating model and the relevance of our assets across broadcast, digital platforms and production.”
MBC’s largest source of revenue, the Broadcasting and Other Commercial Activities (BOCA) division, generated revenue of SR2.83 billion ($750 million) in 2025, an increase of 16.8% year-on-year. However, BOCA’s net profit decreased from 533.2 million riyals ($142 million) in 2024 to 492.9 million riyals ($131 million) in 2025, “partly due to write-downs on non-core content and the absence of non-recurring income recorded in the previous year,” the statement said.
Shahid benefited from a crackdown on password sharing and a landmark bundle deal with Netflix in 2025, with revenue increasing 28.2% year-on-year to SAR 1.38 million ($360,000), supported by unspecified subscriber growth across the MENA region and in international markets.
On the production side, MBC Studios produced numerous scripted and unscripted productions throughout the year, cementing its position as one of the region’s leading content producers. Most of the 2025 plans were produced in Saudi Arabia. Notable works include the Arabic versions of “The Voice” and “Top Chef,” as well as the pan-Arab series “Asel,” “Al Dariya,” “Trad,” “Aisheen Maana,” and “Share Al Asha.” MBC also participated as a producer on Tunisian director Kauser Ben Hania’s Oscar-nominated film “The Voice of Hind Rajab.”
“Despite continued geopolitical uncertainty, our business continues to demonstrate the resilience of our operating model by operating with discipline while investing selectively in our content and platforms,” MBC Group CEO Mike Sneesby said in a statement. “With audience momentum going into Ramadan and a more integrated operating model in place, we remain well-positioned to navigate short-term uncertainty while delivering sustainable long-term value.”
