SRMG’s acquisition of Thmanyah stake opens new horizons in global podcast market: Jomana Al-Rashid

Jomana Al-Rashid, Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Research and Media Group

Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG) is reinforcing its commitment to provide its audiences with original, exclusive and premium content through new digital platforms following the acquisition of Thmanyah, a leading Arabic podcast platform and documentary producer in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), said company Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jomana Al-Rashid.

The global podcast market is expected to grow in value to around $3.9 billion in the next two years, enabling forward-thinking and creative platforms to capture new audiences and capitalize on monetization opportunities, such as advertising revenues, she noted.

“Thmanyah presents an exciting opportunity for us to explore new ideas and openings in this space,” Jomana Al-Rashid said.

SRMG’s acquisition of Thmanyah is part of the group’s new digital-first, multi-platform approach and commitment to delivering original, unique and exclusive content to consumers through new digital and social platforms.

In addition, SRMG will leverage its global network and reach to support Thmanyah’s growth ambitions into new genres and geographies, while benefiting from Thmanyah’s creative and production capabilities to enhance brand equity across its titles.

The Saudi-listed firm’s new strategy focuses on expanding its current portfolio, digital offerings, global reach, and unlocking international commercial opportunities in fast-growing regional markets and worldwide. It is worth noting that SRMG owns more than 30 major media outlets, including Asharq Al-Awsat, Arab News, and Asharq Business with Bloomberg, and has a combined monthly reach of 165 million.

Abdulrahman Abumalih, CEO of Thmanyah, said: “We are delighted to be joining SRMG, a leading source of news, information and lifestyle content for people in the MENA region and around the world. In the five years since Thmanyah was founded, we have grown steadily with a clear focus on delivering quality content to the region’s expanding digital audiences through our podcasts and documentaries.

“We will continue growing and will use this investment to create more content and tap into new audiences. I look forward to working with SRMG to produce an even stronger platform that combines our strengths and SRMG’s wide reach to benefit our listeners, viewers and advertisers,” he added.

Founded in 2016, Thmanyah is a leading producer of Arabic podcasts and documentaries. Its many highly rated podcasts include “Fnjan”, an Arabic talk show with more than 1.6 million average monthly listeners, as well as “Swalif Business”, “Socrates”, and “Things That Changed Us”, which have a monthly following of over 2.2 million people and have registered double-digit growth annually.

Thmanyah has also produced more than 90 documentaries and short films, with more than 15 million viewers. Additionally, the company, which has been profitable since its first year, maintains a prominent website focused on long-form journalism.

Across all its verticals, Thmanyah publishes on a wide range of platforms, including YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and its own website.

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