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Stingray Adds Twelve FAST Channels to LG Smart TVs in UAE
Stingray has launched eleven FAST channels and its Moodscapes idle-screen feature on LG Channels in the UAE, spanning ambient video and music from Arabic Classics to K-pop.
Why it matters
- Stingray launched eleven FAST channels plus Moodscapes on LG Channels in the UAE on November 6
- The lineup spans five ambient video channels, six music channels and one idle-screen feature
- All content is free to viewers via LG Channels, LG's exclusive ad-supported streaming service
- CRO David Purdy called the launch part of Stingray's expanded partnership with LG
- No subscriber figures, carriage terms or deal duration were disclosed
The story
Stingray has put eleven FAST channels plus its Moodscapes idle-screen feature in front of LG Smart TV owners in the United Arab Emirates, announced November 6 through an expanded partnership with LG. The content rides on LG Channels, LG's exclusive free ad-supported streaming TV service, which bundles live and on-demand programming at no charge to viewers.
The Montreal-rooted music and video distributor clearly believes ambient viewing travels well. The UAE launch copies a formula Stingray has already run elsewhere: curated, low-narrative programming designed to sit in the background rather than command attention.
Which channels landed in the UAE?
The video side leans heavily on scenery over scripts. The lineup includes:
- Stingray Cityscapes — aerial views of iconic cities paired with curated downtempo music
- Stingray Cozy Café — coffee-house visuals over lo-fi beats, pitched at focus and relaxation
- Stingray Naturescape — imagery running from crackling fireplaces to flights over tropical paradises
- Stingray Stargaze — starry nights and cosmic vistas with serene music for, in Stingray's words, "a sanctuary for contemplation"
- ZenLIFE by Stingray — peaceful sounds and easy-listening music as a backdrop for work, relaxation and sleep
Six music channels round out the audio portfolio:
- Stingray Arabic Classics — traditional through modern Arab music
- Stingray Classic Rock — the genre's biggest legends
- Stingray Easy Listening — instrumental selections
- Stingray Greatest Hits — iconic tracks from the '70s to today
- Stingray Nothin' But 90s — '90s grunge, pop, hip-hop and country
- Stingray Today's K-Pop — current K-pop hits
The Arabic Classics channel is the obvious local gesture. The rest of the slate could screen in Toronto or Seoul without edits, which tells you the catalog travels more than it localizes.
What is Moodscapes?
The more curious item in the bundle is Moodscapes. It activates automatically after a period of user inactivity and replaces the idle screen with continuous ambient video. In plain terms: your neglected television starts playing scenery on its own. Whether UAE households treat that as a feature or a surprise is now an empirical question.
What did Stingray say?
David Purdy, Chief Revenue Officer of Stingray, framed the launch as part of a broader push. "We are thrilled to expand our partnership with LG and introduce our diverse portfolio of FAST channels to viewers in the UAE," he commented. "This launch reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality, curated music and video content to audiences worldwide, providing them with unparalleled and highly engaging entertainment experiences."
That is vendor marketing language, and it should be read as such. The verifiable facts are narrower: a distribution deal, twelve content properties, one market, one TV platform. No subscriber targets, carriage fees or advertising commitments appear in the announcement.
Why does this deal matter?
For LG, Stingray's channels pad the LG Channels lineup at low cost, strengthening the free tier that smart TV makers now treat as an advertising business in its own right. For Stingray, every additional smart TV platform extends a licensing model built on volume — the company's catalog already spans dozens of territories through similar arrangements.
The commercial logic is straightforward. FAST channels cost little to program, ambient content costs even less to watch, and the advertising fills the gap between the two. Neither party disclosed revenue projections, audience figures or the length of the agreement.
Stingray says the expanded partnership reflects an "ongoing commitment" to worldwide distribution, so further LG Channels launches in adjacent Gulf markets look more likely than not — though nothing in the announcement puts a date or territory on it.
Also reported
Source: Advanced Television
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News editor covering technology and product news in Carrier business, 5G and 6G, fiber and broadband at Telecom Gazette.
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