How Shahid collaborated with Twitch Ads to reach new viewers in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates

In the competitive streaming landscape of the MENA region, Shahid, an Arabic video on demand service, emerges as a local audience favorite, particularly during the all-important Ramadan season when they experience an increase in subscriptions. Their unique proposition lies in a rich catalog of regional, exclusive, and culturally resonant content, positioning them as a local favorite in a category saturated with OTT platforms all scrambling for the audience’s attention. The brand’s focus on maximizing subscriptions during peak periods and elevating their unique content has consistently won over local audiences. In 2022, Shahid aimed to broaden their online customer base through Twitch during Ramadan.

Surveying audiences in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, Shahid decided to collaborate with Twitch, based on research that highlighted their presence and engagement on the service. The findings revealed Shahid’s impressive performance in the online entertainment sector, with 45.8% of the surveyed audience having engaged with Shahid’s offerings on Twitch.¹ Twitch’s increasing popularity suggests that Shahid has considerable opportunities to attract new viewers. In line with this, insights from consumer research firm GWI also revealed the crucial role of video content during Ramadan, with online video consumption climbing by 43% in Saudi Arabia and 17% in the UAE, informing strategic video ad placements.²

To reach a new audience on Twitch, Shahid created an upper-funnel campaign that showcased their selection of movies and TV shows that were curated for the Ramadan season. This selection was advertised across various channels and placements using Twitch Ads, supported by a limited-time 50% promotional discount, designed to incentivize new subscriptions during the festive period.

The centerpiece of the campaign was the Twitch hero headliner placement. This premium advertising spot ensured maximum visibility for Shahid, harnessing Twitch’s most visible desktop and mobile app ad placements. This placement was strategically scheduled to run for 24 hours at the start of Ramadan, capitalizing on the surge in viewer activity during this time.

To amplify reach, the team employed First Impression Takeover, ensuring that Shahid’s video advertisement was the first piece of content viewed upon entering Twitch. This placement was intended to capture immediate attention and foster unique user engagement.

Finally, the campaign leveraged video pre-roll ads, which are short promotional videos played before the viewer’s chosen content, to maintain visibility and engagement within the Twitch ecosystem. Additionally, the campaign extended its reach beyond Twitch through Amazons DSP. This allowed Shahid’s promotional content to showcase across various third-party websites and apps, thereby engaging potential subscribers beyond the confines of a single channel.

Through this multifaceted approach, the campaign not only raised awareness of Shahid’s Ramadan offerings, but also helped drive an increase in subscription numbers by reaching a broad and diverse audience during a period of high engagement and viewership. Shahid connected with over 1.2 million individuals over the course of a month by integrating Amazon DSP with Twitch and homing in on a precise audience strategy, demonstrating the combined impact of tailored content and strategic platform use.³

Furthermore, the campaign achieved an impressive video completion rate (VCR) of 72.2% on third-party video platforms and 72.1% on Twitch, surpassing industry benchmarks.⁴ But the significance of a high VCR goes beyond mere numbers. It suggests that viewers were not just casually clicking on the videos; they were actually staying and watching the content to completion, indicating a high level of engagement with Shahid.

Shahid continues to follow this approach, as they extended their Ramadan offering to the Twitch community the following year, in 2023, with a limited-time promotional offer focused on their exclusive local content. This campaign saw an impressive VCR of 88%, signifying year-on-year growth.⁵