Anime emerges as top-viewed category among Kingdom’s subscribers DUBAI: Regional streaming platform STARZPLAY has released a list of its most-viewed content among Saudi viewers last year. From classic films to Turkish dramas, overall content consumption on the platform increased by 23 percent on figures for 2020, according to a recent study by the company. Nadim Dada, vice president of content acquisition at STARZPLAY, told Arab News: “Saudi Arabia is one of our largest markets and we have seen an impressive increase in content consumption from 2020 to 2021. Our subscribers in Saudi Arabia enjoy a diverse mix of content including action, comedy, and drama.” Anime was the most popular category during 2021, with 38 percent of Saudi subscribers bingeing on the animation shows. In February last year, STARZPLAY partnered with Japanese anime provider TV Tokyo in a deal that saw more than 1,000 episodes of anime content added to the company’s library for users in the Middle East and North Africa region. “Interestingly, STARZPLAY’s highest anime consumption comes from Saudi Arabia, with ‘Fruits Basket’ (Japanese manga series) being a far leader with subscribers,” Dada said. Other popular genres among Saudi subscribers were medical dramas and Turkish series, with 32 percent of viewers watching shows such as “The Good Doctor,” and 24 percent tuning into Turkish productions including “Dirilis: Ertugrul,” “Al Tufah Al Haram,” and “Ezel.” Hollywood content also ranked highly among viewers and included movies such as “Infinite,” “The Dark Knight,” and “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” “Our data shows that Saudi subscribers enjoy cult comedy sitcoms like ‘The Office’ and ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ as well as Turkish dramas and popular medical shows. “We expect this trend to continue this year as well and we will continue to explore new and innovative ways alongside strategic partnerships to bring a diverse portfolio of content to our subscribers,” Dada added.