In early 2026 IAB MENA collaborated with RTL to extend their annual ‘Living Room Study’ into UAE and KSA. This delivers unique insights into MENA audiences’ claimed content preferences, device usage, first‑destination choices and more. The study places a particular emphasis on Total Video engagement across digital video platforms and apps and explores the unique impact of how watching television together shapes the overall viewing experience.

Members can download the full report and insights here, including:

• The video ecosystem in Saudi Arabia is highly connected, socially influenced and increasingly platform-driven. Video consumption flows across multiple devices and services, with smartphones acting as the daily “always-on” screen while TVs continue to serve as the primary shared household entertainment environment.
• Live TV still plays a central role in daily viewing routines, particularly among older and family audiences, while subscription streaming, broadcaster streaming platforms, and OTT environments all coexist.
• Discovery is becoming increasingly external to TV platforms themselves, driven in part by friends and family, social recommendations and short form videos
• The Saudi market is characterised by a strong mix of traditional and digital viewing and retains a strong Live TV culture alongside rapid streaming adoption.
• Audiences actively manage entertainment spend through multiple techniques, not just adding ad-tiers.