Dubai Media Incorporated grew net revenue by 57 per cent between Ramadan 2025 and Ramadan 2026, according to figures presented in Dubai on Thursday by Steve Smith, Executive Director of Commercial Media and Ventures.
Speaking at Madinat Jumeirah, Smith argued that the broadcaster’s audience performance is driving its commercial performance, with growing viewership feeding advertiser confidence and stronger partnerships.
The two flagship channels carry most of that case. Dubai TV recorded a reach of 35 per cent and 1.4 million daily viewers, ranking it third among channels in the UAE. Sama Dubai reached 27.4 per cent with 1.1 million daily viewers, placing it fourth. With overlap between the two audiences removed, their combined reach stands at 53.7 per cent.
Viewing is heavily weighted towards the evening. Dubai Media’s daypart breakdown, structured around iftar and suhoor, shows 45 per cent of viewing taking place in prime time, from 7.30pm to 11pm. That window delivered 850 TRPs, reached 86 per cent of the audience and held viewers for an average of 2 hours 27 minutes. The late slot from 11pm to 2am took a further 24 per cent, while mornings and the suhoor hours each accounted for 2 per cent.
The advertiser roster shown on stage mixed government bodies with consumer brands. Emirates, e&, Chanel, Sephora, Unilever, Majid Al Futtaim and Keeta appeared alongside FAB, ADCB and Dubai Islamic Bank, as well as Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Dubai Courts and Global Village.
Playing for attention
Smith also highlighted Livewire, Dubai Media’s gaming marketing arm, which ran a campaign for Jotun UAE’s Colour Trends Collection aimed at 1.6 million women gamers in the UAE aged 25 to 50. Instead of conventional media, the campaign used custom playable ad units.
Its centrepiece, Palette Play, is a Jotun-branded playable interstitial that turns 24 trend colours into an interactive customiser for a gaming studio setup. Players can explore the story behind each shade and save their choices. Dubai Media cited a 70 per cent viewability benchmark for the format.
