Demand for home entertainment sees sharp increase

Entertainment providers have witnessed a surge in demand for new and more content as residents limit the time they spend outdoors.

Entertainment providers across the UAE have reported a sharp increase in interest in video on demand, gaming, and entertainment systems, as residents across the emirates look to keep themselves busy while staying indoors due to the Covid-19.
Faisal Aljabri, marketing and PR executive at Geekay, spoke to Khaleej Times about how the company has recorded an increase in sales and queries about certain product categories such as gaming consoles.
"We are seeing a huge surge in sales on consoles such as the Sony PlayStation, the Nintendo Switch, and high-end PCs, since people are at home," he said. "Gaming is becoming appealing to new audiences every day. Since families are spending more time together at home, we are seeing a demand for family products and add-ons such as controllers, and headsets which are essential to play online."
He also noted that there has been a huge demand for new content. "We are getting hundreds of messages where people are requesting upcoming games early so that they can get their hands on them and start playing."
Asked about how the company has ramped up its services to help residents, Aljabri said: "We have launched a more accessible delivery services across the GCC, where customers can order on WhatsApp and the payment will be done in cash or credit card on delivery. We urge all our customers to stay at home and keep safe during these times."
Internet company, Tencent, noted that it sees a bright future for the Middle East games market, especially in light of the rise of mobile gaming and cross platform gaming, the growth of e-sports in the region, and the potential of games to bring positive benefits for economic and social development.
"The potential of the games industry is greater than ever. The worldwide uptake of mobile phones has put games in the hands of a far wider population than ever before. Furthermore, according to research company Newzoo, game revenue in the Middle East and Africa region is expected to reach $6.01 billion by 2021, and global games revenue predicted to reach $189.6 billion by 2022. Games are now a multi-channel, multi-faceted industry, with cloud-based games reaching across platforms and devices, and players uniting across countries and demographics," a Tencent spokesperson said in a statement to Khaleej Times.
In addition to gaming, other sectors that have witnessed a surge in interest include online streaming and video on demand.
Experts at OSN revealed that there has been a notable increase in viewership as residents practice social distancing measures.
"At OSN, we always aim to offer families hours and hours of entertainment through exclusive family-friendly content. Due to the current lockdown, OSN's customers can now watch OSN Kids at no extra cost with over 40 must-see movies to choose from. General trends see the ultimate peak of TV consumption, and we can notice a 47 per cent increase in linear and 170 per cent increase on our streaming platform," said Emad Morcos, chief content officer at OSN.
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com