ARY Digital to remove its dramas from YouTube & shift them to ARY Plus
ARY Digital is set to remove its drama content from YouTube for viewers in Pakistan from Thursday 17th September, with episodes moving exclusively to the broadcaster’s ARY Plus streaming platform.
The move will change the way audiences in Pakistan access ARY Digital’s drama catalogue online. ARY Digital has built a significant audience on YouTube, with its dramas regularly attracting large viewership on the platform.
The broadcaster’s current drama slate includes titles such as ‘Toota Huwa Dil’, ‘Bas Tera Saath Ho’, ‘Mirza Ki Heer’, ‘Dar-e-Nijaat’ and ‘Main Tera’. Its wider catalogue also includes established hits such as ‘Mere Humsafar’, ‘Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum’ and ‘Ishq Hai’.
ARY Plus is increasingly being positioned as the broadcaster’s streaming destination, with ARY Digital’s website now directing viewers to the platform to stream full episodes of its dramas.
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The decision represents a significant shift for ARY Digital, which has historically used YouTube as a major digital distribution platform for its Pakistani drama content. The broadcaster’s official YouTube channel has previously carried full episodes and built a substantial international audience around its programming.
The move is part of a wider shift in South Asian television towards bringing premium and first-run content behind dedicated streaming platforms. Indian streaming services including JioHotstar and ZEE5 are similarly placing greater emphasis on their own platforms and subscription ecosystems, rather than relying solely on open platforms for premium content. JioHotstar, for example, has recently expanded internationally with a catalogue of more than 160,000 hours, while ZEE5 continues to develop premium and exclusive content offerings within its service.
For ARY Digital, the YouTube withdrawal marks a clear move towards making ARY Plus the primary digital destination for its drama output in Pakistan.
