Discovery, Starz team on Dplay streaming service in Middle East, Africa

Dplay, a streaming video service operated by Discovery, will now be available across the MENA region thanks to a partnership between Discovery MEA and STARZPLAY, a Dubai-based SVOD service.

STARZPLAY subscribers gain access to a new Dplay-branded area on the existing platform. Dplay on STARZPLAY said it will feature thousands of hours of content covering genres including crime, lifestyle, food, wildlife and more. New content added to the platform each month. Dplay on STARZPLAY will also feature content from Discovery's portfolio of channels such as Shark Week, “MythBusters,” “Gold Rush,” “Expedition Unknown,” “House Hunters International” and “Say Yes to the Dress.”

Dplay will be available for up to a one-month free trial (depending on the region) and then the price will be AED/SAR15 per month. Current and future STARZPLAY subscribers will have the choice to subscribe to Dplay as an add-on package. The companies did not provide a specific launch date but said the service will be available in the second quarter of 2020.

RELATED: Discovery hires former Google exec to lead strategy for direct-to-consumer

"This is the first time Discovery is taking its fantastic content beyond the pay-tv universe in the region and opening it up to a whole new customer base. We're always looking for new ways to deliver our content to fans, getting it in their hands exactly how they want it – and this partnership with STARZPLAY is a prime example of how we're continuing to evolve our offering to build on Discovery's existing success. As we commence our pivot toward digital, this milestone sets the benchmark for Discovery's continued growth in the digital space,” said Amanda Turnbull, general manager for Discovery Middle East and Africa, in a statement.

"As the leading video streaming service in MENA, we have established ourselves as the platform with the most comprehensive distribution reach and payment network.  With this partnership we are starting a new chapter in company's growth to become the one stop shop for premium content. Discovery has best-in-class factual content which our subscribers would love to consume,” said Danny Bates, chief commercial officer for STARZPLAY, in a statement.

Discovery is taking its traditional linear pay TV content over the top internationally as it considers its options for launching a new U.S. streaming service that pulls content from all its brands including Discovery, TLC and HGTV.