1001, Pioneering the Future of Legal Streaming in Iraq

For years, Iraq was a hugely underserved media market ripe with potential but lacking legitimate digital content options. The country has a large population of 43 million people, with over 65% under the age of 35. Technology adoption is also high, with over 75% internet penetration, 82% smartphone penetration, and a staggering 26 million regular social media users, including the largest TikTok audience of 23.8 million in the entire SWANA region.

However, this young, tech-savvy Iraqi audience had limited access to legal streaming services catering to their interests and Arabic dialect preferences. At its peak in 2021, a staggering 90% of Iraqi households were accessing pirated television shows, movies, and other content. The black market was so widespread that several of the country’s top internet service providers actually bundled pirated streaming services directly into their internet packages. One notorious pirated platform called Shabakaty, also known as Cinemana, had amassed millions of subscribers across Iraq.

A major shift is now disrupting this piracy paradigm and ushering in a new era of paid legal streaming services in Iraq. This has been enabled by a combination of improved broadband infrastructure rollouts, a government crackdown on piracy operations, and innovative new streaming platforms tailored to local preferences.

At the forefront of this streaming transformation is 1001, a pioneering platform started by a team of accomplished Iraqi media entrepreneurs. After a thorough study of the market’s complexities, 1001 determined that simply replicating the content and business models of other regional streaming services would not be enough to convert ingrained piracy behaviors and resonate with Iraqi audiences.

Instead, 1001 has taken a localisation-first approach from both a content and distribution perspective. On the content side, in addition to securing rights for over 25,000 hours of premium international content from partners like OSN+, Starzplay, and Rotana, 1001 crucially formed a landmark deal with leading local broadcaster Sharqiya Group.

Sharqiya is providing 1001 with over 3,000 hours of their enormously popular Arabic series produced exclusively for Iraqi audiences in the Iraqi dialect – content that global and regional streaming services had overlooked. In exchange for equity in 1001 and distribution fees, Sharqiya’s compelling local content is a key anchor.

On the distribution side, 1001 pioneered innovative B2B2C partnerships with Iraq’s major telecom operators and internet service providers like Zain Iraq and Asiacell. These deals make 1001’s streaming service available as an affordable value-added service bundled directly with the telcos’ existing mobile and broadband subscriber packages and billing. By going direct to consumers through these trusted local provider relationships, 1001 gains ubiquitous and cost-effective national distribution across Iraq that would be difficult to replicate.

The localised strategy has paid off tremendously in 1001’s first months of operations. Within just two weeks of its launch in March 2023, 1001 rapidly became the #2 streaming mobile app in all of Iraq. As of early 2024, they have amassed over 2.5 million unique users to date.

Perhaps most importantly for connecting with the influential Iraqi social media market, 1001 has cultivated a highly-engaged audience of 3.5 million followers across major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok in under a year. Proving content resonance, their social pages showcase Iraqi user-generated reaction videos celebrating newly released episodes of popular Sharqiya shows exclusively on the 1001 platform.

With underserved local audiences clamoring for affordable streaming bundles featuring Arabic content tailored to their dialect preferences, and internet providers urgently seeking legal content alternatives to replace shuttered piracy operations, 1001’s innovative localisation strategy has positioned them to lead Iraq’s transformation into the streaming video era.

Their impressive early traction numbers demonstrate the sizable market demand for legal SVOD services when fueled by the right combination of exclusive local content, affordable pricing, and seamless access through telecom distribution partnerships. As the Iraqi market evolves away from piracy, 1001 is well-placed to continue dominating as the leader in this dynamic space. Their localised market strategy could potentially provide a roadmap for tackling other international markets plagued by piracy as well.