From Technology and Telecommunications to Transforming Digital Entertainment Across MENA
Peter Mrkic, Managing Director of TOD by beIN MENA, has built his career at the intersection of technology, media, telecommunications, and business transformation. Throughout his professional journey, a consistent theme has remained: driving growth through innovation and helping organisations navigate periods of significant change.
Today, that experience is shaping the future of one of the region’s fastest-growing streaming platforms.
As Managing Director of TOD by beIN MENA, Mrkic is focused on strengthening the platform’s position as the leading destination for sports and entertainment streaming across the Middle East and North Africa.
“Our ambition is to increase awareness, personalise engagement, deliver continuous platform innovation, and expand TOD by beIN’s footprint across the MENA region through the widest array of sports and entertainment content, while delivering the best product and customer experience,” says Mrkic.
The Streaming Industry Is Entering a New Era
According to Mrkic, the streaming landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace.
Consumers today expect far more than access to content. They want flexibility, convenience, personalisation, and seamless experiences that fit naturally into their daily lives.
“The streaming industry is evolving faster than ever, and audiences are becoming more demanding in the best possible way,” explains Mrkic. “They expect choice, flexibility, seamless access, and content that fits into their lives, whether that’s short-form content, long-form entertainment, live sport, or family-friendly programming.”
This shift has fundamentally changed how streaming platforms compete.
Success is no longer determined solely by the size of a content library. Instead, platforms must continuously innovate and adapt to changing consumer behaviours.
“For us, the priority is to listen, learn, and grow because customers are central to everything we do,” he adds.
Beyond Content: The Future of Digital Entertainment
For Mrkic, the future of digital entertainment extends beyond simply delivering content online.
Modern audiences increasingly expect platforms to provide personalised, interactive, and immersive experiences tailored to individual preferences.
“Today, platforms are expected to offer experiences beyond the basic,” says Mrkic. “Audiences are looking for content that is personalised, interactive, seamless, and built around how they actually live.”
This philosophy has shaped the evolution of TOD by beIN’s latest innovations.
Features such as TOD360, MultiView, FanZone, interactive timelines, and automatic match highlights are designed to give viewers greater control over how they engage with content, particularly live sports.
For sports fans, this means watching multiple matches simultaneously, participating in real-time predictions and polls, and becoming active participants rather than passive viewers.
Why MENA Is a Strategic Growth Market
The opportunity is particularly significant across the MENA region.
The region’s population is young, digitally connected, mobile-first, and increasingly demanding sophisticated digital experiences.
In Qatar alone, internet penetration has reached approximately 99%, while mobile connections exceed 150% of the population.
“With so much of daily life now happening digitally, viewers increasingly expect experiences to match this reality,” says Mrkic. “They want multilingual experiences, personalised recommendations, premium content, and platforms that understand cultures.”
This creates significant opportunities for streaming providers capable of delivering highly localised experiences while maintaining global standards of technology and content delivery.
The Rise of OTT Platforms Across the Middle East
The rapid growth of Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms across the Middle East continues to reshape the entertainment industry.
According to Mrkic, changing consumer habits, increasing smartphone penetration, stronger digital infrastructure, and growing demand for on-demand entertainment have accelerated adoption across the region.
Consumers now expect premium content to be available anytime, anywhere, and across multiple devices.
This transformation has encouraged streaming platforms to move beyond traditional broadcasting models and invest heavily in technology, personalisation, and user experience.
“The growth of OTT platforms in the Middle East has been remarkable and continues to accelerate,” says Mrkic.
Additional factors such as expanding Smart TV adoption, telecom partnerships, and growing demand for premium sports content are further supporting the sector’s growth trajectory.
How AI Is Reshaping Streaming
Artificial Intelligence is emerging as one of the most transformative technologies in the streaming industry.
Mrkic believes AI is already changing how audiences discover and consume content.
AI-powered recommendation engines, content discovery tools, advanced analytics, adaptive streaming technologies, and multilingual capabilities are helping platforms create more personalised experiences.
“AI is helping platforms improve personalisation, content discovery, and recommendations, which is clearly what audiences are increasingly seeking,” he explains.
AI is also enabling advancements in subtitling and dubbing, allowing viewers to access content in a broader range of languages while improving accessibility across diverse markets.
“We are also seeing a clear shift towards more interactive viewing,” says Mrkic. “Looking ahead, streaming will be defined by smarter, more personalised, and more immersive experiences.”
Building Deeper Relationships Through Data and Personalisation
For streaming platforms, the challenge is no longer providing access to content.
The challenge is helping users find the right content quickly and effortlessly.
According to Mrkic, audiences no longer want to spend time searching through extensive catalogues.
Instead, they expect platforms to understand their preferences and deliver highly relevant recommendations.
“The stakes are higher for platforms today,” he says. “We need to understand audience preferences, recommend the right content, and curate more tailored experiences.”
This represents a shift from content distribution to relationship building.
“The real value lies in using technology to make the experience easier, more intuitive, and more personal while still keeping the viewer in control.”
The Evolution of TOD by beIN 2.0
To meet evolving consumer expectations, TOD by beIN recently introduced a significantly enhanced platform experience.
The upgraded platform focuses on speed, personalisation, navigation, content discovery, and interactive engagement.
“We introduced a faster and more intuitive interface designed to improve navigation, personalisation, and content discovery,” explains Mrkic.
Interactive features such as MultiView and FanZone have also been expanded to encourage deeper audience participation and engagement.
These innovations reflect a broader industry trend where streaming services are evolving into interactive entertainment ecosystems rather than traditional viewing platforms.
Sports Content Remains a Powerful Growth Driver
While technology continues to evolve, premium sports content remains one of the strongest drivers of digital subscription growth across MENA.
Live sports create unique moments that bring audiences together and encourage regular engagement.
For TOD by beIN, sports serve as a critical foundation for subscriber acquisition and retention.
“Sport gives people a reason to join and a reason to keep coming back,” says Mrkic.
Today, TOD by beIN serves audiences across more than 20 markets throughout the MENA region, offering premium sports, Arabic entertainment, Turkish dramas, Western content, children’s programming, and advanced viewing features including 4K and HDR streaming.
The Customer Will Define the Future
As competition intensifies across the global streaming landscape, Mrkic believes the winners will be those who remain closest to their audiences.
Technology will continue to evolve. Content libraries will continue to expand.
However, the true differentiator will be customer experience.
“For me, the future of digital entertainment comes down to how well we listen, adapt, and build around the customer to become the digital destination of choice,” concludes Mrkic.
In an increasingly crowded digital world, that philosophy may prove to be the industry’s most important competitive advantage.
