Saudi Arabia’s digital content ecosystem is booming, with 84% of connected households watching online content and over 530 streaming platforms available in the market. However, despite the broad availability of legal services, the country is grappling with high levels of piracy and account sharing—two major challenges threatening monetization across the sector. These insights are based on a recent report by the insights and analytics firm Fabric.
The report highlights that piracy levels, although declining, remain among the highest in the EMEA region. From Q2 to Q4 2024, online piracy in Saudi Arabia dropped from 52% to 43%, putting the country on par with South Africa (46%) and Denmark (43%). M3U lists remain the dominant piracy method (95%), followed by IPTV (39%), with 17% of users resorting to illegal streaming and torrent platforms. Notably, 35% of Saudi users access pirated content daily, and 78% do so at least weekly, reflecting a deeply entrenched behavior.
At the same time, account sharing continues to rise, even though Saudi Arabia offers some of the most affordable streaming prices in the EMEA region, with an average monthly subscription of USD 12—16% below the regional average of USD 14. Despite this, the account sharing rate stands at 35%, the highest in the region, up by 6% over the past year. Platforms such as Netflix and Disney+, which have implemented account sharing restrictions in other countries, have yet to enforce similar policies in Saudi Arabia, possibly fueling this trend.
The financial implications of this behavior are tangible. While 71% of households in the country have access to subscription-based streaming services, the combined impact of piracy and account sharing significantly reduces revenue per user. For instance, Netflix and Disney+ currently report the highest churn rates in the market, with economic reasons cited as the main driver for cancellations—underscoring that even low pricing doesn’t guarantee retention.
In terms of pricing, Eros Now (USD 3.20) and Crunchyroll (USD 4) offer the lowest-cost plans, while OSN+ (USD 13.06), Disney+ (USD 11.46), and Netflix (USD 9.33) are among the more premium-priced basic options available in the Saudi market.
To counteract these monetization challenges, the report from Fabric points to ad-supported models as a promising solution. These hybrid offerings combine lower subscription fees with advertising revenue and could help balance access and profitability. The popularity of free-with-ads platforms in Saudi Arabia suggests a favorable environment for such models to succeed.
Still, long-term success will depend on more than pricing and product structure. Fabric emphasizes the need for comprehensive strategies including usage controls, financial incentives, and digital education to foster responsible viewing habits and reinforce the value of legitimate access. As Saudi Arabia continues its rapid digital expansion, finding the right equilibrium between accessibility, cost, and revenue will be key to the sustainable growth of its streaming sector.
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