Will Egyptians pay to WATCHiT?
WATCHiT, Egypt’s homegrown response to Netflix, is under fire from Egyptians who resent the fees it charges, artists who resent its monopoly and hackers, who've challenged its security.
A new streaming app in Egypt has sparked controversy among fans of TV series, who are bemoaning that they will now have to pay to watch what they had been watching free online for years.
The privately owned United Media Services Group, which produces TV series and owns several TV channels, launched WATCHiT, Egypt’s homegrown answer to Netflix, on May 1, just before Ramadan which falls this year May 5-June 4. Its Synergy Films affiliate produced 15 of the 26 television series broadcast during Ramadan, the peak viewing season of the year. United Media Services also owns most Egyptian satellite channel networks, including Al-Hayat and ON E, and the lion’s share of the Capital Broadcasting Center (CBC) channels, and it recently acquired D Media Group, which owns the popular TV channel DMC.
