Ericon partners with Image Nation Abu Dhabi to launch new Arabic-language TV channel

Ericsson will provide playout and media management services for new pan-regional Arabic-language TV channel, Quest Arabiya, as part of exclusive, multi-year deal

Quest Arabiya joins the growing portfolio of TV channels managed by Ericsson from its newly established media hub in Abu Dhabi

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) today announced that it has signed an exclusive multi-year broadcast and media services contract with Image Nation Abu Dhabi, one of the leading content creators in the Middle East.

The contract includes playout, media preparation, media management and archive services for the new Arabic-language TV channel, Quest Arabiya, which is scheduled to launch in Q4 2015.

The free-to-air service, which will broadcast 24 hours a day across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, is a joint venture between Image Nation and global pay TV programmer Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA). Quest Arabiya will air a combination of regionally-produced original content along with factual and reality programs from Discoverys vast library of non-fiction shows, localized for the Arab market.

Earlier in 2015, Ericsson announced a partnership with twofour54, the home of Abu Dhabis media industry. As part of this partnership, Ericsson established a broadcast and media hub in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to serve clients across the Middle East and beyond. Quest Arabiya will join the growing portfolio of TV channels managed by Ericsson from this hub.

Carl Von Doussa, General Manager of Channels, Image Nation, says: Partnering with an industry leader like Ericsson will ensure that Quest Arabiyas playout and content management operations are in good hands. The agreement is part of our outsourced model, meaning that while Ericsson provides this managed service the Quest Arabiya team can focus on their core expertise: delivering exciting and original Arabic programming across the entire region.

Ericsson clearly has a great reputation globally and a proven track record of delivery, and were looking forward to working together to deliver great content to 45 million households across the MENA region. We are also pleased that we were able to support Ericssons growing hub in Abu Dhabi through this agreement, von Doussa says.

Thorsten Sauer, Head of Broadcast and Media Services, Ericsson, says: We look forward to working with Image Nation on the launch of its new, eagerly-anticipated TV channel. There is huge appetite for original, Arabic-language content across the Middle East and we are honored to play an integral role in delivering this service 24/7 from our newly-established hub in Abu Dhabi. Our global expertise, local know-how and extensive experience in managing playout operations make us the partner of choice for media companies.

Ericsson delivers some of the worlds most renowned and premium TV programing, powers some of the industrys largest and most complex video platforms, and helps the worlds strongest content brands to deliver personalized, high-quality programing to consumers 24/7. Ericsson enables content owners, broadcasters and TV service providers across cable, satellite and telecoms to accelerate their transformation towards TV in the Networked Society. With many expansive solutions that include Media Delivery Network, Ericsson Mediaroom and Cloud DVR, Ericsson has shaped many evolutions in TV for over 20 years such as digital TV, IPTV, HD, and soon UHD and HDR. Ericsson holds numerous patents and has been recognized with five Technical Emmy awards.

More information about Ericssons Broadcast and Media Services portfolio can be found here.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Broadcast and Media Services press backgrounder

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About Image Nation

Image Nation Abu Dhabi is one of the leading media and entertainment companies in the Arabic-speaking world, producing local and international films, documentaries & television content, and will become a pan-Arabic broadcaster with the 2015 launch of Quest Arabiya.

The company aims to build a sustainable film and television industry in Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates.

Image Nations slate includes Emirati produced feature films (From A to B, Sea Shadow), cause-driven documentaries (He Named Me Malala, Every Last Child), insightful television shows (Beyond Borders, Hayati Walaskariya) and award-winning international co-productions (The Help, Flight, 99 Homes). Through its content, Image Nation is creating opportunities for local talent to tell their stories and work on projects that provide them the tools to establish and sustain a local industry.

About Ericsson

Ericsson is the driving force behind the Networked Society - a world leader in communications technology and services. Our long-term relationships with every major telecom operator in the world allow people, business and society to fulfill their potential and create a more sustainable future.

Our services, software and infrastructure - especially in mobility, broadband and the cloud - are enabling the telecom industry and other sectors to do better business, increase efficiency, improve the user experience and capture new opportunities.

With approximately 115,000 professionals and customers in 180 countries, we combine global scale with technology and services leadership. We support networks that connect more than 2.5 billion subscribers. Forty percent of the worlds mobile traffic is carried over Ericsson networks. And our investments in research and development ensure that our solutions - and our customers - stay in front.

Founded in 1876, Ericsson has its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. Net sales in 2014 were SEK 228.0 billion (USD 33.1 billion). Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX stock exchange in Stockholm and the NASDAQ in New York.

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LINK:	http://www.ericsson.com/uk/thecompany/press/releases/2015/09/1949131...
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