Leading Middle East broadcaster MBC Group reported a 28.5% year-on-year increase in revenue to SR 5.4 billion ($1.43 billion) for the full fiscal year 2025, and an 8.1% yearly net profit to SR 437.5 million ($116.66 million) boosted by double-digit growth of its Shahid streaming service.
MBC, which besides Shahid operates 19 free-to-air channels across the Middle East and North Africa, came under direct Saudi ownership last September when Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) acquired a 54% stake for roughly $2 billion.
In a statement, MBC Group chairman Waleed Al Ibrahim called the deal, under which PIF has become its majority shareholder, “a defining milestone in the Group’s evolution, reinforcing alignment with national priorities and establishing a stable, long-term ownership framework anchored in the Kingdom’s long-term economic vision.” He also said the group’s 2025 results reflect “the strength and resilience of our operating model and the relevance of our assets across broadcasting, digital platforms and production.”
MBC’s Broadcasting and Other Commercial Activities (BOCA) segment, which is its largest earner, saw revenues of SR2.83 billion ($750 million) in 2025, an increase of 16.8% year-on-year. But BOCA net profit dropped to SR492.9 million ($131 million) in 2025 from SR533.2 million ($ 142 million) in 2024, “partly due to non-core content write-downs and the absence of non-recurring income recorded the previous year,” the statement said.
Shahid, which in 2025 benefited from a password-sharing crackdown and a groundbreaking bundling deal with Netflix, delivered a 28.2% year-on-year revenue rise 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 had a prolific scripted and unscripted slate throughout the year, boosting its position as the region’s leading content producer. A significant portion of its 2025 slate was produced in Saudi Arabia. Key productions included Arabic adaptations of “The Voice” and “Top Chef,” as well as Pan-Arab series “Aser,” “Al Dariya,” “Trad,” “Aysheen Ma’Ana” and “Share’ Al A’sha.” MBC were also among the producers of Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s Oscar-nominated feature “The Voice of Hind Rajab.”
“Despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, our business continues to demonstrate the resilience of our operating model as we manage with discipline while investing selectively in content and platform,” said MBC Group CEO Mike Sneesby in the statement. “With strong audience momentum entering Ramadan and a more integrated operating model now in place, we remain well positioned to navigate near-term uncertainty while delivering sustainable long-term value.”
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