Sony’s new Middle East office inks deals with Rotana and others

Sony Pictures Televisions has inked a trio of multi-year deals with broadcasters in the Middle East, having opened a new sales office in the region late last year.

The Dubai-based office is run by executive director, distribution, for the Middle East, Ziad Yaghi.

Movie deals have been inked with Egypt-based Rotana, Dubai Media Inc. and Qatar’s Al Rayyan

In each case, it is the first time SPT has inked a content agreement with the broadcaster.

SPT said that the TV channels have taken rights to movies from the Sony catalogue, across various genres.

Ziad Yaghi said: “As a committed participant on a pan-regional level, SPT is now also establishing new relationships at a national level as the sector expands. With many thousands of feature films and television series, the SPT library is well placed to meet growing Middle East demand.”

As well as the sales office, SPT also operates a regional production hub, SPT Arabia, which has shopped a local version of Everybody Loves Raymond into Egypt.