ARY Digital, a subsidiary of the ARY Group, is a popular Pakistani television network available in Pakistan, the Middle East, North America and Europe. Formerly known as the Pakistani Channel, ARY Digital was launched in the United Kingdom in December 2000 to cater to the growing demands of South Asian entertainment in the region.
BLAZE TO BRILLIANCE
Within a short span of three years, the unique proposition and the content of the channel resulted in massive popularity and in order to enable greater expansion and broadcast into other countries, the operations were moved to Dubai Media City. It uses Samacom, a monopolising uplink provider based in the UAE, as the uplink teleport station.
FAITH FACTOR
FACTOIDS
- ARY Digital, formerly known as the Pakistani Channel, was launched in the United Kingdom in December 2000
- The channel is considered to be a pioneer in the Pakistani media and broadcasting industry
- In 2002, The ARY Star Gold Quiz Show set new standards in the game-show broadcast history by being the first live show to offer one kilogram gold as the prize
The channel started off with a format more closely resembling that of PTV Prime and other Indian channels where it provided slots for soaps in general while presenting an hourly slot for news headlines. Although flaming political talk shows and dramas were the main priority when it came to programming, the network soon became known for its news coverage.
ENGAGEMENT THAT ENTHRALS
ARY pioneered in establishing the standards of television programming in Pakistan and all over the world. In 2002, The ARY Star Gold Quiz Show set new standards in the game-show broadcast history by being the first live show ever which offered a hefty prize of one kilogram of gold. In 2005, the network obtained the rights to show Live 8 on its sister music channel, The Musik. The channel also held the rights to the ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ franchise for Pakistan.
INNOVEDGE
ARY Digital has associated with several other international television networks to promote their content in Pakistan. Amongst these was Fashion TV for which a regional channel, FTV Pakistan, has been airing since December 2005 on the ARY Digital network. Plans are under way for Al Jazeera Urdu in affiliation with Al Jazeera, targeting 110 million Urdu-speaking households worldwide and HBO Pakistan in association with HBO’s south-Asian division.
BRAND PROMISE
At present, the network has four different coverage areas around the world: ARY Digital Asia, ARY Digital Middle East, ARY Digital UK/Europe and ARY Digital USA beamed from the UAE. It has acquired and set up 1,200 premium-rate lines for its call centres to facilitate the users. The channel is considered to be a pioneer in the Pakistani media and broadcasting industry and has an expanding network of channels, each with a different focus.
