MBC Group facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
MBC Group CJSC

Native name	مجموعة إم بي سي
Formerly	Middle East Broadcasting Center (1991-2003)
Type	Public
Traded as	Tadawul: 4072
Founded	18 September 1991; 33 years ago (1991-09-18)
Headquarters	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Area served	Middle East and North Africa
Key people	Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim (Chairman) Mike Sneesby (CEO)
Owner	Public Investment Fund (54%) Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim (36%)

MBC Group, also known as Middle East Broadcasting Center, is a big media company from Saudi Arabia. It started in London in 1991. Later, its main office moved to Dubai in 2002 and then to Riyadh in 2022. Most of MBC Group is owned by the Public Investment Fund, which is run by the Saudi government.

MBC Group runs more than 19 free TV channels that you can watch by satellite. They also have a service called Shahid, where you can watch videos whenever you want. MBC 1 was the first channel to offer 24-hour TV shows across the Arab world using satellites. The company has over 2,000 employees.

In recent years, MBC faced some money problems. This led to job cuts and fewer new shows being made. This happened partly because advertising money wasn't enough to cover the costs of making shows. As of 2011, MBC had 165 million viewers.

In 2023, MBC Group offered its shares to the public for the first time. This meant people could buy a small part of the company. This was a big step for their financial plans. By October 2024, the Public Investment Fund owned 54% of MBC Group.

MBC's TV Channels and Services

MBC Group offers many TV channels. Most of these channels are free to watch. Some special channels, like the HD (High-Definition) ones, require a payment. You can watch them through different TV providers in the Middle East.

Al Arabiya News Channel

Al Arabiya is a news channel that started in 2003. It broadcasts news across the Middle East and North Africa region.

MBC 1: Family Entertainment

MBC 1 launched in 1991. It was the first independent channel for the whole Arab region that was free to watch. It is a top channel for family entertainment in the Middle East and North Africa.

MBC 2: Hollywood Movies

MBC 2 was the first free movie channel in the Arab world. It shows Hollywood movies all day and night. You can watch everything from big blockbuster films to classic movies. The films are edited to fit local customs and laws.

MBC 3: Kids' Fun and Learning

MBC 3 is a channel for children aged 3 to 13. It offers a mix of educational and fun shows for Arab kids. MBC 3 also has its own shows, like Eish Safari. This show takes young Arab kids on a month-long trip with challenges. Another show is "Graduate in a Day," a game show for kids and their parents.

MBC 4: Shows for Women

MBC 4 is mainly for women in the Middle East. It shows a variety of programs, including K-Dramas, US and UK shows, comedies, and dramas. It also has game shows, movies, and news. Many shows from Korea, India, Turkey, Pakistan, and Mexico are dubbed into Arabic. MBC 4 also plays English music.

MBC 5: Moroccan and Egyptian Families

MBC 5 started on September 21, 2019. This channel is for family entertainment. It is made especially for viewers in Morocco and Egypt.

MBC Action: For Young Men

This channel is for young Arab men. It shows Western TV series, movies, and action reality shows. It also broadcasts Japanese anime and sports programs. Some popular shows include The Mentalist, Fringe, Supernatural, and WWE. The channel also has a car show similar to Top Gear.

MBC Drama: Arabic Stories

MBC Drama launched on November 27, 2010. It is a family channel that shows Arabic drama series 24 hours a day. It features dramas from Egypt, Syria, the Gulf, and Kuwait. The channel repeats shows throughout the day, so viewers can watch at a time that suits them.

MBC Masr Drama

This is an Egyptian drama channel that launched on February 20, 2025.

MBC Max: More Movies

MBC Max is another 24-hour movie channel from MBC Group. It is for a younger audience. It shows Western movies, including comedies, action films, romances, and classics. It also features K-Dramas, US and UK shows, and other international dramas dubbed into Arabic. MBC Max also plays English music.

MBC Bollywood: Indian Movies

MBC Bollywood launched on October 26, 2013. It is MBC Group's 14th channel. It shows Hindi cinema (Bollywood movies) 24 hours a day. These movies are subtitled in Arabic. It is for South Asian viewers and Arab fans of Bollywood.

MBC Persia: Persian Content

This channel started on July 9, 2008. It provides content in the Persian language. The channel is for Iranian viewers and shows films and programs from all over the world.

MBC Masr: For Egyptian Viewers

MBC Masr launched on November 9, 2012. It is a part of MBC studios located in Egypt. This channel is made specifically for Egyptian viewers.

MBC Masr 2

This channel used to be a time-shifted service. Now, it is a second channel for Egypt with different content.

MBC Iraq: Iraqi Family Shows

MBC Iraq launched in February 2019. It is a special channel for Iraqi families. Its programs focus on local Iraqi shows, including dramas, comedies, and cultural entertainment.

MBC FM and Panorama FM: Radio Stations

MBC FM Logo

These are MBC Group's Arabic radio stations in Saudi Arabia. They play music, host talk shows, and cover local events and news. MBC FM plays local and Gulf music, while Panorama FM plays Arabic tunes.

Wanasah: Music for Youth

Wanasah is a 24-hour music channel. It is for Arab youth, especially in Eastern Arabia. The channel shows music videos, concerts, and music lifestyle programs.

MBC.net: Online Entertainment

MBC.net is one of the top Arabic entertainment websites. It offers sports, entertainment, movies, and music content. It also allows users to interact and use social networking features.

Shahid: Streaming Service

Shahid was the first free "video on demand" service in the Arab region. It has the largest collection of Arabic content to stream. Shahid is one of the biggest streaming services outside of China, the US, and India. It offers MBC's own shows and foreign content that is dubbed or subtitled. In January 2020, Shahid teamed up with Disney and Fox. This brought over 3,000 hours of content, including Star Wars and Marvel, to the platform.

MBC Hope: Social Initiatives

MBC Hope started in June 2013. Its goal is to handle MBC's social projects. It launched campaigns like "Syrians without an address." In 2017, MBC Hope expanded to Egypt. There, it helps support women who are starting their own businesses.

MBC+ Variety: Western Shows

MBC+ Variety is a 24-hour entertainment channel. It shows Western variety content. It also plays English music. This channel is available only on Arabsat and My-HD platforms.

MBC Loud FM: English Music Radio

MBC Loud FM launched in May 2023. It plays English music and is the first international contemporary hit radio station in Saudi Arabia.

MBC Studios: Making Movies and Shows

In 2018, MBC created its own production studio called MBC Studios. This studio makes films and TV series for audiences in the Middle East. MBC Studios also works with Hollywood studios to produce English-language movies.

Technology Used by MBC

In 2010, MBC Max allowed viewers to watch English movies with English voices. Viewers could also choose to have Arabic subtitles or not.

In July 2011, MBC launched HD (High-Definition) versions of seven of its channels. These included MBC 1, MBC 2, MBC 3, MBC 4, MBC Action, MBC Max, and MBC Drama. These HD channels use a special system to be viewed, while the standard definition (SD) channels are free.

In 2017, Snapchat added content from regional providers like MBC to its "Discover" feature.

Images for kids

MBC FM Logo