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With war in the Middle East and between Pakistan and Afghanistan reshaping viewing habits across the region, Begin CEO Jonathan Mark-Tatti sees opportunity where others see disruption.
“Geopolitical instability creates economic and operational challenges, but it often increases demand for streaming as audiences turn to digital platforms for both escapism and connection,” he says. “The real focus for us is ensuring we remain agile — prioritizing local content, strong partnerships and sustainable monetization in complex markets.”
The Pakistan-focused streaming platform, operated by Merchant Horizon, is expanding its content slate with a range of new drama series and films. Mark-Tatti makes the case for locally rooted streaming in a South Asian market that he says the global players are failing to serve. Begin combines live sports, local entertainment and international programming within a single subscription, carrying rights to Spain’s La Liga football alongside several international golf properties including the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and DP World Tour. Its entertainment library spans Pakistani drama series and films, international titles and exclusive programming linked to local formats including “Pakistan Idol.”
New additions to the platform include “Churails,” “Teen Tara,” “Faraar” and “Pink Shirt.”
Mark-Tatti, who spent more than two decades across advertising and broadcast television at companies including Star TV, Zee Networks, Samaa TV and CNBC Pakistan — and helped launch KTN, one of Pakistan’s early Sindhi-language satellite channels — says Begin was built to address a gap that global platforms have left open.
“We identified the absence of a single platform that truly caters to the full range of entertainment preferences in a household,” he says. “Global platforms like Netflix offer strong Western entertainment and have begun experimenting with sports such as boxing and other international events, but they are not addressing the regional sports and cultural interests that matter most to audiences in markets like Pakistan.”
On Begin, he says, users can access international entertainment, local programming, live sports and large-scale formats like “Pakistan Idol” within a single ecosystem.
The strategy places sports at the center of Begin’s subscriber acquisition model. “Unlike films or series, which people can binge and finish, sports are ongoing,” Mark-Tatti says. “They create habitual viewing and strong loyalty from fans who return week after week to follow their teams and competitions.” He points to La Liga as an example of a property that builds engagement beyond the live match itself, sustaining a continuous connection with the platform across a full season.
On Pakistan’s long-standing piracy problem, Mark-Tatti frames it as a service issue rather than a pricing one. “In many cases, piracy exists because content is either unavailable legally in a market or the legal viewing experience is inconvenient,” he says. “If you provide audiences with a seamless viewing experience at an affordable and reasonable price point, most users will choose the legal option.”
Begin’s approach involves working with regulators, sports federations and content partners to combat piracy while also licensing some tier-two and tier-three match rights through ISPs and distribution partners — directing audiences to Begin for premium events while broadening the overall legal content ecosystem.
Mark-Tatti sees Pakistani drama and film as a genuine global asset rather than just a local play. “Pakistani dramas and films have a very distinctive storytelling style that resonates deeply with audiences both domestically and internationally,” he says, noting that themes around family dynamics, social issues and relationships have attracted large audiences even on open platforms like YouTube. He describes the content strategy as building a balanced library rather than choosing between global and local.
Mobile is central to how Begin is targeting its audience. With smartphone penetration rising sharply and mobile wallets expanding digital payment access, Mark-Tatti says the platform is designing both its product experience and pricing models around mobile-first users. “That shift directly influences how we design the platform,” he says.
The longer-term ambition goes beyond Pakistan. “Our ambition has always been to build Begin as a regional platform rather than limiting it to a single national market,” Mark-Tatti says. “The opportunity lies in creating a platform that connects South Asian audiences around the world through the sports, entertainment and cultural content that resonates most strongly with them,” with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka among the markets Begin has in view, alongside the global South Asian diaspora.
English (US) ·