A Symphony of Courage, Resilience, and Innovation from the Arab World
In a landscape where the technology sector races against the clock, the story of OSN+’s dramatic transformation stands as a beacon of what is possible with sheer determination and ingenuity. Imagine reconstructing an entire video streaming platform in just 120 days. This isn’t a tale from Silicon Valley – it’s a narrative that unfolded in the heart of the Middle East.
Rising to the Challenge
"We undertake these tasks not because they are easy, but because they present a formidable challenge." This was the spirit driving our audacious venture to rebuild OSN+ from scratch. As a co-founder of Anghami, now overseeing both Anghami and OSN+, I’ve witnessed first-hand the extraordinary blend of engineering prowess and unwavering resolve that brought this project to fruition.
On June 23, 2024, we mark not just seven months since our merger but celebrate a testament to the incredible capabilities of Middle Eastern tech talent. While numerous business obstacles were overcome by every team, this recount focuses on the engineering feats that powered our journey.
The Bold Decision
The ink was barely dry on our merger agreement on November 21, 2023, when we made a bold move: to reconstruct the OSN+ platform entirely anew, in time for the premiere of House of the Dragon season 2. Industry insiders were skeptical: could a VOD service with a substantial audience and content base be rebuilt in just four months?
Our answer was a defiant yes. With a team of 50 engineers, armed with over a decade of experience from building Anghami, we set out to prove the skeptics wrong.
A Legacy of Innovation
This was not our first encounter with video streaming. Back in 2019, Anghami collaborated with OSN to deliver a Game of Thrones experience within the Anghami app, an endeavor accomplished in just five days. This early foray into video content unknowingly laid the groundwork for the monumental task we were about to undertake.
Building on Strong Foundations
We leveraged our strengths from Anghami to give us a head start:
- Authentication Systems: Allowing seamless access for Anghami users.
- Analytics and Data Infrastructure: Providing insights and performance metrics.
- Cloud Architecture: Offering scalable and reliable backend services.
- Recommendation and Search Systems: Ensuring personalized content discovery.
- Billing Across 47 Telcos: Facilitating diverse payment methods and streamlined transactions.
Despite this robust foundation, the path ahead was anything but straightforward.
Navigating New Frontiers
Our experience in music streaming, with over 100 million songs, provided a strong basis. However, the world of long-form video presented unique challenges:
Content Complexity: OSN+’s 18,000 hours of movies and series required a different approach to encoding, streaming, and user experience than our short-form audio content.
Device Diversity: While Anghami was primarily mobile-first, OSN+ users watched on a variety of platforms including Samsung, LG, and Vidaa Smart TVs, Android TV, Apple TV, iPads, Chromecast, and web browsers.
Seamless Transition: Migrating existing users, their profiles, watchlists, and billing accounts without disrupting their experience was critical.
Quality Leap: Launching with 4K support and Dolby Atmos meant re-encoding the entire content library.
Platform Limitations: The varying and often outdated nature of TV platforms required innovative, custom solutions.
Delicate Balancing Act: Migrating users and payments while maintaining service demanded precision and meticulous execution.
Each new step brought its own set of hurdles, often more complex than anticipated. The nuances of long-form video streaming forced us to continually adapt and learn on the fly.
Guiding Star
Our unwavering goal was to enhance conversion and retention rates in an industry known for its high churn. This guiding star helped us navigate through the maze of technical challenges and critical decisions.
Division of Labor and Intense Focus
Confidence in our engineering capabilities led us to divide and conquer. We organized into dedicated teams focused on:
- Backend Platform Development
- User and Revenue Migration
- Content Ingestion
- App Creation
- Recommendation and Search Optimization
From mid-December 2023 to mid-March 2024, our team worked relentlessly, often sacrificing weekends and holidays, including Ramadan and Eid, to meet our deadlines.
Overcoming the Obstacles
Each phase of the project introduced new challenges:
- Long-form Video Streaming: Required different strategies compared to music.
- Diverse TV Platforms: Presented unexpected complexities.
- User and Payment Migration: Needed careful handling to avoid service disruption.
The Launch and Its Aftermath
On April 1, 2024, we received regulatory approval, completing the merger. The next day, we began rolling out our new platform. While we faced tough decisions, such as delaying features like the Apple TV app and support for older Samsung TVs, our launch was successful, covering over 90% of our user base.
The team’s spirit didn’t falter. In an incredible show of willpower, two engineers repurposed the iOS app to create the Apple TV app in just one week. Within weeks, we rolled out other missing apps and expanded device support. By early June, we introduced our premium 4K and Dolby Atmos offerings, just in time for the House of the Dragon season 2 premiere.
Early Success and Future Vision
While it’s still early to claim victory, the initial results are promising. Users are enjoying:
- Faster Load Times
- Enhanced Image and Sound Quality
- Improved Homepage Recommendations and Search
- Lower Bandwidth Consumption
Most significantly, we’ve observed a 30% increase in time spent on the platform, a 20% boost in conversions, and a significant reduction in operating costs.
A Testament to Middle Eastern Innovation
This journey is more than a technical milestone; it’s a powerful testament to the talent, dedication, and innovative spirit flourishing in the Middle East. Our team has demonstrated that with courage, resilience, and creativity, we can compete globally and deliver world-class technology solutions.
As we look ahead, we are not resting on our laurels. We continue to refine, enhance, and push the boundaries of what’s possible. The same team that built a music streaming platform from scratch has now recreated a video platform in record time. They are my heroes, showcasing the best of what our region has to offer to the tech world.
I invite you to experience OSN+ on any device. We have much more to deliver. I highly recommend watching Succession, Oppenheimer, The White Lotus, and the all-new and exclusive House of the Dragon season 2 in 4K. And keep an eye out for the new Penguin series, a spin-off from The Batman, coming in September.
The story of OSN+’s rebirth is just beginning. It’s already a compelling narrative of what can be achieved when talent meets opportunity in the heart of the Arab world. To entrepreneurs and innovators across the region, I say this: dream big, take risks, and remember – what seems impossible today might just be inevitable tomorrow.
