Beyond reach: Redefining the value of premium video
Strategy – The Future of TV: Global Series
MBC Media Solutions’ Mathieu Yarak explains how TV can become more competitive against social media platforms and other digital media by correlating attention, brand impact, and outcomes into a single intelligence layer.
For a long time, the value of television was simple: it provided scale. In a market like Saudi Arabia, that scale is still very important.
However, if we’re being honest, scale alone is no longer sufficient.
Media buyers today want more than just knowing how many people they can reach; they want to understand how that reach impacts their business.
At MBC Media Solutions (MMS), we have been focusing on this shift.
Over the last two years, we’ve developed a framework that elevates TV and premium streaming beyond mere reach drivers, transforming them into something far more accountable, measurable, and competitive.
We conceptualise this framework in three parts: attention, brand impact, and outcomes – or as we refer to it at MMS, mind, heart, wallet.
This framework is supported by partnerships with global measurement leaders, including Amplified, Happydemics, Qualtrics, Ipsos, Annalect, and Adalyser, to ensure credibility and quality at every level.
TV attention measurement at scale
The first element is attention.
Not all viewing experiences are equal, and the industry is beginning to recognise this fact. By implementing attention measurement, real indicators of how people engage with content, we have moved beyond the notion that “an impression is an impression.”
Our findings consistently show that premium, long-form content retains attention differently. Viewers are more focused, more engaged, and more present.
We have also pioneered a unique initiative in MENA by introducing TV attention measurement at scale, with a particular focus on Saudi Arabia.
The results are compelling. Across our studies, MBC linear TV and MBC Shahid premium streaming environments yield significantly greater active attention than scrollable social media environments, outperforming both regional (X4) and global benchmarks (X5).
Even compared to non-skippable formats on digital video platforms, premium content delivers stronger, more sustained attention (X2).
Here, the narrative shifts. Attention is not about forced exposure; it’s about earning it.
Next is brand impact. Since 2025, we have conducted more than 150 brand lift studies across MBC linear TV and MBC Shahid premium streaming, creating one of the most comprehensive datasets in the region.
These studies consistently demonstrate strong performance, with prompted ad recall levels reaching around 47%, compared to global benchmarks closer to 29%, and notable double-digit increases in consideration and intent.
However, the real value extends beyond individual campaign results. Over time, this volume of studies allows us to identify clear patterns on how different creatives perform, how context shapes perception, and which combinations drive the strongest outcomes.
Brand measurement as a planning tool
This transforms brand measurement into a valuable planning tool.
Instead of reflecting on the past, we can begin to look forward, guiding advertisers towards more effective decisions even before campaigns launch.
The third component is outcomes, where everything connects, starting with Marketing Mix Modelling (MMM).
Through four commissioned and detailed MMM studies, we’ve quantified the role of premium video not only in driving short- and long-term sales and brand equity. The findings are consistent: MBC linear TV and MBC Shahid premium streaming are effective on their own (driving more than 55% of sales attributed to media) and also enhance the performance of other media channels, being social or digital video.
They serve as both a driver and a multiplier.
Building on this foundation, we are introducing a more tactical layer through attribution and lower-funnel performance measurement. This allows us to connect TV exposure to real-world actions, be it spikes in search activity, website visits, or store traffic.
It complements MMM by offering more immediate, granular insights, helping us understand not just whether TV and premium streaming work, but also how quickly they drive responses and where optimisation opportunities exist.
Bringing it all together
The real shift, however, lies in how these elements come together.
What we are building is a unified system that correlates attention, brand impact, and outcomes into a single intelligence layer. This is where AI becomes relevant.
Rather than analysing data in isolation, we can link it all together and understand how attention translates into perception and how perception drives action. More importantly, we can utilise these insights proactively, making planning more predictive than reactive.
This transformation makes planning distinctly different. It shifts from relying on historical averages to anticipating expected outcomes. It becomes more precise, informed, and ultimately more effective.
This is also where we need to reframe our comparison with global social media platforms. Their strengths are rooted in data and optimisation. Yet, premium video offers something deeper. A richer understanding of quality, context, and real impact.
An important distinction lies in how this ecosystem is constructed. It is not a closed system.
By integrating panel measurement data, brand measurement data, streaming data, survey insights, and advanced modelling, we create a more transparent and holistic view of performance. While it is more complex, it is also more credible.
The conversation is evolving. It is no longer about defending television and premium streaming or proving its effectiveness. Instead, it is about demonstrating the true value of what premium content can deliver.
Mathieu Yarak is the head of data of MBC Media Solutions (MMS).