Shahid leads MENA customer streaming sentiment in 2026, ahead of OSN, Disney+, STARZPLAY, Netflix, and TOD TV. New DataEQ data reveals what's driving loyalty and churn.
The MENA streaming market is growing fast, but consumer sentiment may not be keeping pace. New data from DataEQ's MENA Streaming Services Sentiment Index, which analysed 333,182 publicly available online mentions across Netflix MENA, Shahid, OSN, STARZPLAY, TOD TV, and Disney+ between October 2025 and March 2026, finds that only two of six major platforms recorded positive consumer sentiment.
Shahid led the ranking with a Net Sentiment of +4%, with Arab-first originals, Ramadan programming, and Turkish drama generating consistent content anticipation across the period. Its free-to-watch tier broadened its reach without requiring a subscription. Where criticism existed, it centred on app performance rather than content. OSN was the only other platform to post a positive score at +1%, supported by its premium content, access to the HBO catalogue, and bundled access. Criticism centred on streaming quality and delayed availability of titles. The remaining four platforms fell into negative territory. TOD TV recorded the lowest score in the ranking at -26%, followed by Netflix MENA at -10%, STARZPLAY at -2%, and Disney+ at -1%.
Netflix MENA generated the highest share of voice at 50%, but its October 2025 volume peak was driven by a consumer boycott rather than content engagement. Elon Musk's public call to cancel Netflix over LGBTQ+ content in children's programming, amplified across X to his 227 million followers, landed measurably in the MENA market, with cancellations the leading topic during the period. By December, the narrative had shifted: promotional content around the new Stranger Things season drove a second volume spike, with consumers expressing anticipation rather than anger. Despite the polarising public reaction, Netflix remained the top platform for subscription consideration, leading purchase conversation at 30%.
Platform speed was the joint worst-performing topic across the industry. App crashes, login failures, and live-stream breakdowns were the defining experiences consumers described. Billing complaints recorded the same level of negativity at -97%, with consumers citing charges without activation and auto-renewals after cancellation.
For TOD TV and STARZPLAY, sports delivery failures drove cancellations directly. Sports-related content accounted for 54% and 46% of each platform's topic volume, with Net Sentiment scores of -85% and -61%. For TOD TV, stream failures during major fixtures were the dominant complaint: feeds running behind real time, blank screens at kick-off, and matches failing to load entirely. For STARZPLAY, technical failures during live coverage were compounded by commentary quality complaints, with unfavourable comparisons made to beIN ‘s commentary team, while ads appearing during live coverage drew further anger.
"Live sports is one of the strongest subscription drivers in this market, but it is also where the most reputational damage occurs when things go wrong," said Nadine Dawaghreh, Senior Analyst at DataEQ. "Consumers who pay specifically for a live match and cannot watch it do not just complain. They cancel. The data shows that the same content driving acquisition is driving churn when delivery fails."
Piracy and IPTV appeared consistently as alternatives throughout the period. Consumers cited unofficial services as cheaper, more reliable, and in some cases more complete in catalogue, positioning piracy not as a first choice but as a response to unmet expectations from paid platforms.
Full report findings, including brand-level breakdowns, year-on-year comparisons, purchase and cancellation drivers, and a live sports deep-dive, are available on request.
About DataEQ
DataEQ structures unstructured consumer data at scale, enabling brands to understand what customers are saying, why, and what to do about it. The EQ Engine combines machine learning, generative AI, and human labelling to deliver verified sentiment analysis across social media and online platforms.