V, the platform company behind the VIDAA Smart TV operating system, switched on a free TV Channels service across ten Middle East and North Africa markets on June 30, 2026. The launch announcement for V’s MENA TV Channels service gives consumers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon access to more than 30 free premium streaming channels, with regional connected-TV specialist Screenomic supplying the Arabic lineup and handling ad sales.
The service combines curated live FAST channels with a growing video-on-demand library, V said, spanning entertainment, news, sports, documentaries, lifestyle and children’s programming from regional and international content partners. V and Screenomic are framing the launch as a milestone in V’s long-term content strategy for the MENA region. The full channel list went live on a single day across all ten markets.
VIDAA Lights Up Ten MENA Markets With Free Streaming
The product that just went live is called TV Channels, and it sits inside the VIDAA Smart TV operating system. The service combines curated live streaming channels with a growing video-on-demand library. V calls it “a simple and intuitive user experience designed specifically for television.” The launch is the first major content announcement under the V brand identity.
At launch, V says the service offers more than 30+ free premium streaming channels, drawing from regional and international content partners. Screenomic supplied the Arabic side, with 25 curated FAST channels at launch and exclusive regional rights to monetise them. International channel partners fill out the rest of the lineup, and the full channel list spans entertainment, news, sports, documentaries, lifestyle and children’s programming. The two companies have committed to keep adding content partnerships, channels and viewer experiences over time. Screenomic is providing the Arabic FAST channel lineup; international channels come from V’s broader partner network.
The Arabic and international lineup covers the full free-TV shopping list:
- Entertainment
- News
- Sports
- Documentaries
- Lifestyle
- Children’s programming
V has framed the launch as part of a longer-term push to expand its content, advertising, commerce and technology partnerships in MENA, with both companies committed to growing the partnership over time.
The Arabic Content Partner Driving The Rollout
The press release describes the partnership as a milestone for both companies, but Screenomic’s role goes beyond channel supply. Screenomic exclusively manages the monetisation of the premium Arabic channels in the region, a privilege the release states plainly. Screenomic describes the deal as positioning it as the main access point through which advertisers can reach premium MENA audiences across every major connected TV platform in the region.
Screenomic says it is thrilled to be Vidaa’s primary partner for Arabic FAST channels at launch across MENA. The company’s statement positions the partnership as a deepening of its commitment to making meaningful Arabic content accessible at scale. For regional advertisers, the practical effect is one regional partner with the rights to monetise Arabic FAST channels on a major Smart TV operating system. The framing in the press release is broader than VIDAA alone: Screenomic talks about reach “across every major connected TV platform.” The arrangement is also presented as a way to give advertisers a route to premium MENA audiences they could previously only reach through global FAST stacks with thin Arabic content.
Screenomic’s own product materials describe the full FAST stack it sells. The company runs Screenomic’s FAST channel scheduling and ad break tools, multi-platform distribution to Roku, Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV and others, and real-time analytics, per its FAST channels page.
Its underlying infrastructure spans 40+ countries with sub-100ms latency, the company says. VIDAA’s global installed base of millions of TVs plugs into that stack as a MENA distribution channel for Screenomic. The regional partner monetises channels on a major TV operating system rather than building its own.
Why Local Content Sits At The Center Of The MENA Play
“The strongest connected TV experiences are built around local content,” said Faisal Alhurani, V’s Regional Director for MENA. The argument runs that viewers want stories, news, entertainment and culture that reflect their lives and their communities. Pairing outstanding local programming with leading international channels creates a TV experience that is more relevant, more engaging, and ultimately more valuable for consumers across the GCC and the wider MENA region, Alhurani said. The pitch is regional-specific content delivered on a global Smart TV platform. The MENA launch is being framed by both V and Screenomic as part of a longer-term push to expand into the broader Middle East and North Africa, building out opportunities for content owners, broadcasters, advertisers and audiences alike.
Screenomic’s role is to make that local-content promise operational at the platform level. The company supplies Arabic-language channels and runs the ads. V and Screenomic have said they will keep adding content partners, channels and viewer experiences across MENA after the initial rollout, with the explicit goal of accelerating connected TV growth across the region.
VIDAA’s Global Run Sets Up The MENA Push
V’s pitch for the MENA launch rests on a global growth story. According to Omdia, VIDAA recorded the largest unit growth among global Smart TV platforms between 2023 and 2025.
Independent Omdia research published in April 2026 reaches a similar conclusion from a different angle. That report placed VIDAA, Titan OS and TiVo at 11.9 million European units in 2025, with combined shipments forecast to hit 12.4 million units in 2028 as an inflection point. By 2030, Omdia projects VIDAA alone will reach 18.4 million units globally, with Europe accounting for 7.5 million of those units. The same release flagged VIDAA’s transformation at CES 2026 as the company expanded beyond just televisions, including a partnership with Microsoft to integrate Copilot’s generative AI capabilities directly into the platform.
V positions itself as powering millions of Smart TVs worldwide, with the MENA launch adding free, ad-supported streaming to the platform alongside subscription services and broadcaster apps. TV Channels joins the existing roster of local and global streaming applications on VIDAA-powered TVs. The free streaming service is positioned as complementary to the existing portfolio rather than a replacement.
VIDAA at launch
- 30+ free premium streaming channels at launch
- 25 curated Arabic FAST channels from Screenomic at launch
- 10 MENA markets live on day one
- Largest unit growth among global Smart TV platforms, 2023 to 2025, per Omdia
What Each Side Gets Out Of The Partnership
The deal splits responsibility and upside between two companies in a tight structure. Screenomic supplies and monetises the Arabic-language channels. V runs the platform, the audience and the international content partnerships. Both sides committed to additional content partnerships, channels and viewer experiences after the launch.
For Screenomic, the gain is reach without building a TV OS. VIDAA’s expanding global installed base becomes a MENA distribution channel that the regional partner monetises. For V, the upside is content depth and a new advertising revenue layer in a region where connected TV adoption is accelerating.
All ten markets launched together on June 30, 2026, with no phased rollout. The full list spans the GCC, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon, with Screenomic’s 40+ countries infrastructure sitting underneath the launch footprint.
The launch is intended to create new opportunities for content owners, broadcasters, advertisers and audiences, the two companies said in the joint announcement. It complements VIDAA’s existing portfolio of local and global streaming applications. Free streaming now sits alongside premium subscription services and broadcaster apps in a single user experience on the platform.
| V | Screenomic | |
|---|---|---|
| Role at launch | Platform operator; international channel partnerships | Primary partner for Arabic FAST channels; exclusive regional monetisation |
| Channel count at launch | 30+ premium streaming channels in total | 25 curated Arabic FAST channels |
| Scope of operations | Millions of Smart TVs globally via the VIDAA OS | 40+ countries of ad infrastructure |
Where This Leaves The MENA CTV Race
Connected TV in MENA has been picking up speed across 2025 and 2026, with industry coverage tracking YouTube’s growth on connected TV in the region, rising CTV advertising budgets and a wave of FAST channel launches from regional broadcasters like WATCH IT. V’s entry adds a new distribution path through Hisense-dominated TV sets. Screenomic’s regional partnerships add Arabic content where global FAST stacks often run thin. The MENA connected TV market now includes V as a new platform-level entrant.
V’s broader play is to position VIDAA as a content-first platform rather than a TV operating system alone. Earlier Omdia research flagged VIDAA as one of the fastest-growing TV operating systems globally, alongside Titan OS and TiVo. The MENA launch adds free, ad-supported streaming television to that growing base, with Screenomic running the regional ad layer underneath, and both companies framing the partnership as a milestone in V’s long-term content strategy for the region.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is V’s TV Channels service?
V’s TV Channels is a free, ad-supported streaming service built into the VIDAA Smart TV operating system. It combines curated live FAST channels with a growing video-on-demand library and launched on June 30, 2026 with more than 30 free premium streaming channels across ten Middle East and North Africa markets.
Which countries get V’s TV Channels at launch?
Ten markets went live together on day one: the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon. V and Screenomic have said additional markets and content partners will follow after launch.
Who is Screenomic?
Screenomic is a MENA-focused connected TV technology and digital advertising company. For the V launch, Screenomic supplies a curated selection of premium Arabic-language FAST channels and exclusively manages the monetisation of those channels across the region.
How many channels are available at launch?
More than 30 free premium streaming channels in total, including 25 curated Arabic FAST channels supplied by Screenomic at launch. International channel partners fill out the rest of the lineup.
How does this differ from subscription streaming apps on VIDAA?
TV Channels is built into the VIDAA Smart TV interface, with no separate subscription or sign-up required. The free, ad-supported model sits alongside the operating system’s existing roster of paid streaming apps, broadcaster apps and on-demand libraries in a single user experience.
