MBC Group (), or Middle East Broadcasting Center Group, is a Saudi media conglomerate based in the Middle East and North Africa region. Launched in London in 1991, the company moved to its headquarters to Dubai in 2002 then moved to Riyadh in 2022.
MBC Group operates over 19 free-to-air satellite TV channels, and a video on demand service (Shahid). MBC1 was the first broadcaster to provide a satellite-based free-to-air 24-hour television broadcasting network across the Arab world. The Group's current chairman is Sam Barnett. Sam Barnett returned as MBC Group CEO in December 2020 after a one-year departure. MBC's television arm, MBC TV, broadcasts via Eutelsat, Arabsat and Nilesat satellites. MBC has more than 2,000 staff.
In recent years MBC has been hit with major rounds of financial cuts, leading to 150 layoffs and major production cuts. These cuts were driven in part due to advertising not covering production costs and the failure to acquire exclusive rights to the Saudi league. As of 2011 MBC reported 165 million viewers.
TV channels and services
All MBC channels are free-to-air except for the HD channels and MBC Plus Variety. They are available on OSN, STC TV & STC TV Home IPTV and my-HD satellite service. They are all Pay-TV service providers in the Middle East.
MBC 1
Launched in 1991 as the first independent free-to-air pan-Arab channel, MBC1 is the leading channel in MENA region for family entertainment.
MBC 2
The first free-to-air movie channel in the Arab world, MBC 2 offers a 24-hour non-stop stream of Hollywood movies, from blockbusters to classics and international films. This channel is censored to not show violence and pornography, including deep kiss, fetishism, eroticas, and nudity—all forms have been cut.
MBC 3
MBC 3 is a children's entertainment channel which delivers a programming mix of children's education and entertainment for Arab kids aged between three and thirteen. MBC3 also airs a locally produced reality show for kids, Eish Safari, which recruits young Arab kids and sets them on a month-long trip of mental and physical challenges. Recently, the channel produced a new game show called "Graduate in a Day", similar in concept to "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" for children and their parents.
MBC 4
MBC 4 is aimed primarily at Middle Eastern women and offers a broad mixture of US and UK shows, comedy and drama series, as well as gameshows, magazines, plus news and current affairs programming, in addition to Turkish, Pakistani and Mexican dramas dubbed into Arabic. It also airs original Arabic programs.
MBC 5
A channel dedicated to family entertainment which was launched on 21 September 2019. Targeting Moroccan viewers specifically.
MBC Action
A channel that targets young Arab males. It delivers Western series, movies, action reality shows as well as Japanese anime and sports programs. Some of its prime time shows include The Mentalist, The Vampire Diaries, Fringe, Supernatural, V, WWE and True Blood. The channel recently which is a weekly "magazine" format show about cars, similar to Top Gear, which they also broadcast the British and American versions of the BBC's Top Gear.
MBC Drama
One of the latest additions to the Group, which was officially launched on 27 November 2010. It is a family channel, with 24/7 Arabic drama series. The launch coincides with the Group's 20th anniversary, and marks our 10th channel launch. The channel runs a variety of different dramas: Egyptian, Syrian, Bedouin, Gulf And Kuwaiti dramas that are 1st runs and exclusive runs. MBC Drama is distinguished by the two additional repeats throughout the day, offering its viewers the choice of time, based on their various lifestyles and viewership trends. Do not confuse this channel with MBC's subscription-based channel MBC+ Drama.
MBC Max
The MBC Group's second 24-hour movie channel which caters to a younger audience. The channel airs Western, comedy, action, romance and drama movies as well as classic.
MBC Bollywood
MBC launched MBC Bollywood on 26 October 2013. MBC Bollywood is MBC Group's 14th channel, and it is aimed to air 24 hours of Hindi cinema, either subtitled in Arabic, targeting South Asian audiences, and Arab Bollywood enthusiasts.
MBC Persia
This channel was launched on 9 July 2008 and provides Persian language contents. The channel is dedicated to Iranian viewers and screens films and programs around the world.
MBC Masr
MBC launched MBC MASR on 9 November 2012, and it is a division of MBC studios situated in Egypt and targeting Egyptian viewers.