Mike Sneesby Appointed CEO of Top Middle East Broadcaster MBC Group as Sam Barnett Steps Down

Veteran TV executive Sam Barnett is stepping down as CEO of top Middle East broadcaster and streamer MBC Group and Mike Sneesby, former CEO of Australia’s Nine Entertainment has been appointed his successor.

Barnett, who led MBC for more than 20 years in two separate stints has been instrumental to MBC becoming a major Middle East player in both the linear and streaming spheres. Barnett will now join PPF Group’s Central European Media Enterprises as its Prague-based CEO.

Sneesby left Nine Entertainment, which spans TV, streaming and newspapers, in September 2024 following months of turmoil including the passing of a staff no confidence motion against him and the group’s board of directors.

Sneesby was previously co-founder of Australian streamer Stan and its CEO from 2015.

Sneesby’s appointment to lead MBC Group comes as the Saudi-owned group is on a growth trajectory after floating a 10% stake on the Riyadh stock exchange at the end of 2023 and gaining increasing traction on its streaming side.

The Saudi government currently owns a 60% stake in MBC while the rest is held by MBC Group chairman Waleed bin Ibrahim Al-Ibrahim  who founded the pan-Arab satcaster that operates leading premium streamer Shahid VIP.

Streaming is booming across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, where the OTT subscription video market enjoyed robust 13% growth in 2023, led by local players Shahid and StarzPlay, according to media analyst Omdia. It expects streaming revenues to reach $1.2 billion in 2024.
According to Omdia, Shahid — which is part of Saudi-owned linear TV operator and streamer MBC Group — leads the MENA streaming market with a 22% share thanks to its 3.6 million subscribers at the end of 2023.