- *Haitham bin Salem Al-Zadjali, ** Hussni Mohamed Nasr
- *Mass Communication Researcher, Ministry of information, Oman. **Associate Professor of Journalism. Sultan Qaboos University, Oman. Professor of Journalism, Cairo University, Egypt. (Corresponded author)
- FAR Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Studies (FARJAHSS)
- DOI
This study explores how young
people in Oman engage with paid television services, looking closely at the
reasons behind their use, the routines that shape their viewing behavior, and
the gratifications they perceive from this form of media consumption. Guided by
the Uses and Gratifications framework, the research adopts a
descriptive–exploratory design and relies on an online questionnaire completed
by 480 respondents aged 18–35 from different regions, educational backgrounds,
and occupational groups.
The findings show that slightly
more than half of the participants regularly rely on subscription-based
platforms. Male viewers account for a larger share of active users, and most
respondents prefer watching alone, usually two or three times a week and for about
one to three hours per session. Netflix emerged as the most common service,
followed by beIN Sports and YouTube Premium, while Smartphones and smart
televisions were the devices most frequently used.
Entertainment, relaxation, and
the wish to escape advertising interruptions stood out as the strongest
motivations for turning to paid services. These motives point toward a tendency
among Omani youth to treat subscription-based platforms primarily as a source
of leisure rather than as a tool for information gathering. The gratifications
most often reported were enjoyment, exposure to different cultures, and
productive use of free time. The analysis also revealed notable differences
across gender, income, and age groups in both motivations and achieved gratifications.
Because research on paid television use in the Arab region remains limited, this study offers new empirical insight into the interplay between technology, culture, and youth media behavior in Oman. Its results may assist policymakers and media practitioners interested in understanding emerging viewing patterns and in developing content strategies that reflect the preferences and cultural expectations of young audiences in a rapidly changing digital environment.
