All the streaming services now available in Saudi Arabia
Where to find the best TV and movies in Saudi Arabia…
It wasn’t that long ago that home broadcast entertainment was limited to four TV channels and a radio. We know, classic boomer talk.
Back in those days, you had to remember to either watch, or set your video recorder, for the specific time your favourite shows were on each week.
In the age of streaming, the challenge has moved from ‘when’ to ‘what’.
We have literally thousands of hours of entertainment options a few clicks away. Huge virtual vaults stacked with catch-up TV and on-demand viewing. So much in fact, that watching it all within your lifespan is almost certainly now, an impossible challenge.
So how best to navigate this brave new world of box-sets? We can start by sorting out the best ways to access it, what each of these streaming portals has to offer, and how much they cost…
Netflix
Priced from SAR29 per month (although depending on how many screens you need and how H you want your D, there are other packages available).
Probably the most well-known of all the streaming services, Netflix has a huge database of original and syndicated movie and TV content. The monthly subscription gets you access to hard-hitting documentaries like Tiger King, Our Planet, The Staircase, Making a Murder, and Don’t f**k with cats. Netflix is also home to great comedy. It has a funny tonne of exclusive stand-up specials, and genuinely creative shows like American Vandal, Rick and Morty, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Space Force. There’s award-winning drama in the shape of Altered Carbon, Sherlock, Breaking Bad and Vikings. And it’s got blockbuster movies on its books too, we recommend Roma, Marriage Story, Blade Runner, Inception, Sicario and The Irishman.
OSN Streaming
SAR35 per month
Relatively new to the party, OSN Streaming has picked up where, now defunct, platform Wavo left off. They’ve got the benefit of having exclusive rights to Disney+ content in KSA (so The Mandolorian for example) and a huge catalog of HBO shows (including True Detective, The Wire, Game of Thrones and Westworld). You’ll also find series such as Killing Eve, Homeland, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Family Guy, Chernobyl and Modern Family. There are a multitude of massive Movies too, including Moana, Frozen, Avengers: Endgame, Glass, Hobbs & Shaw, Captain Marvel, Mary Poppins Returns, Us, Dead Poet’s Society, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Toy Story 4 and Yesterday, with a whole load more imminently inbound.
Amazon Prime Video
SAR22 per month
Amazon Prime’s Video service also has a considerable catalog of exclusive ‘Original’ content, some of which is outstanding content. But it’s definitely a service that shines brighter in its TV show tab (compared to its movies). Original shows include Upload, Jack Ryan, The Expanse, Treadstone, Good Omens, Picard, Pete the Cat, The Grand Tour, Mirzapur and Goliath. Syndicated shows include The Office (US), Mr Robot, Heroes, Start Up, Seinfeld and Damages. There’s plenty of TV to keep the kids entertained too, with a bunch of Lego Universe adaptations, Julia Donaldson animations, Bob the Builder (both pre and post-millennial glow-up), Fireman Sam, Just Add Magic, Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny and, a What’s On facourite — Stinky & Dirty. A quick rundown of the best movies would include Wanted, Mission Impossible, Top Gun, Lucy, Event Horizon, The Fast and The Furious franchise (up to number 7), Jurassic Park, The Upside and Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
Starzplay
SAR46 per month
There’s a pretty strong collection of movies in both English and Arabic on this network. Cinephiles will enjoy the well-curated collection of both new and classic films, including The Equalizer, Moana, London Has Fallern, Gladiator, Loving Pablo, The Theory of Everything, Interstellar, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Desperado. In terms of TV series available, there’s Vikings, The Office, Power, The Flash, The Good Doctor, The OC, Homeland, Taboo, Grey’s Anatomy and The Handmaid’s Tale. Popular Arabic shows include Jusoor Wal Jamila, Al Dakheel, Noughamarat Sindibad, Nisr Al-Saeed and Captain Majid Al Shabah.
AppleTV+
SAR20 per month
One of the newest streaming platforms on the block, it doesn’t yet have the same volume of content as its competitors — but with Apple’s track record for ‘extra’, we’re sure that will soon change. Currently, all the shows and movies on the platform seem to be exclusives, which is also a typically Apple trait. Right now you can catch Tom Hanks in a true-story based World War II movie, Greyhound; popular drama series The Morning Show; a comedy series called Little America; Oprah’s Book Club; a sci-fi series called Foundation; and more.
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