Samsung expands free TV streaming service in Middle East, Southeast Asia

Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics is expanding its ‘Samsung TV Plus’ service to the Middle East to dominate the burgeoning free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) market. With the hardware demand for TVs slowing down, Samsung aims to leverage the growing FAST market as a new revenue stream.

Amid rising expectations for the FAST market to become a major source of income, Samsung plans to extend its reach beyond the Middle East to Southeast Asia. The content fees generated in the FAST market are anticipated to offset the challenges faced in TV sales.

According to sources on Monday, Samsung Electronics has partnered with major content providers in the Middle East, such as Shahid and G Entertainment, to launch Samsung TV Plus in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Samsung TV Plus offers a variety of content for free without a monthly subscription fee. While this concept is relatively new in South Korea, it has become a global trend. Users watch customized ads, and Samsung earns commissions from the advertisers, effectively monetizing the TVs they have already sold by connecting consumers with content companies.

Launched in South Korea in 2015, Samsung TV Plus has expanded globally, reaching Europe in 2017, the United States in 2018, Canada in 2019, Australia in 2020, and India in 2021. Now, Samsung is focusing on the Middle East, a key market with high purchasing power and significant population, which also serves as a strategic entry point for the African market.

The importance of the Middle Eastern market is underscored by Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee’s visit to Egypt last year to personally oversee business operations.

Including the three new Middle Eastern countries, Samsung TV Plus will now be available in 27 countries, offering over 2,800 channels and more than 40,000 video-on-demand (VOD) titles. Globally, around 600 million devices, including TVs, monitors, and mobile devices, can access Samsung TV Plus. As of last year, the cumulative global viewing time reached about 5 billion hours.

Samsung Electronics plans to launch Samsung TV Plus in three Southeast Asian countries—Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines—later this year. With a population exceeding 600 million, Southeast Asia represents a significant market, trailing China, North America, and Western Europe in size.

In addition to geographical expansion, Samsung Electronics is committed to enhancing the Samsung TV Plus experience by expanding its content portfolio, growing its VOD services, and implementing AI-based personalized content recommendations.

The global FAST market is expected to continue its rapid growth. For TV manufacturers, FAST offers the advantage of easily acquiring users without the need for additional set-top boxes or subscription processes, as long as they have a smart TV. With over 90 percent of TV shipments now consisting of smart TVs, the FAST market is poised for accelerated growth.