International Christian media ministry SAT-7 has announced that hit series The Chosen is set to be broadcast on their platforms, enabling viewers across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to watch its powerful portrayal of the life of Jesus.
For the next three years, SAT-7 has secured the rights to broadcast The Chosen’s first three series on their satellite channels, ARABIC, PARS, and TÜRK, as well as on their online streaming platform SAT-7 PLUS. Once the episodes are fully dubbed into Arabic, Farsi, and Turkish, viewers will be able to encounter Jesus through The Chosen on their TVs or personal devices.
SAT-7’s Ministry Content Advisor George Makeen said: “This is a great opportunity to share the gospel with viewers in the MENA: The Chosen presents the Gospel within a rich context: the old Middle Eastern culture that framed the biblical events. As SAT-7 presents this series in the MENA languages, we believe many viewers will be introduced and re-introduced to the Good News in a way that touches their hearts and minds.”
The Chosen is markedly different to other Christ-centred productions, not least because of its strong focus on the lives of Jesus’ inner circle: His twelve disciples and female companions. Jesus’ interactions with those around him are utterly gripping and lead the viewer to encounter His character in a truly unique way. As well as creating a dramatic masterpiece, the show’s creators have been careful to pay attention to important biblical and historical details. The interplay between Jewish culture and the Roman empire is thoughtfully represented throughout the series, and the use of an extraordinary set in Utah – an authentic recreation of the ancient city of Jerusalem – enhances the show’s sense of time and place. “Drama is an attractive genre for viewers all around the world,” Makeen added, “especially in the Middle East and North Africa, where our verbal culture learns more through listening and watching than reading.”
The Chosen, which first took the US by storm and has since spread around the globe, started out with an independently created pilot show in 2017. As excitement for a fully-fledged series grew, over $10 million was raised, making The Chosen one of the biggest crowdfunded projects of all time. Seven years and three series later, the show has amassed 200 million unique viewers and is widely considered one of the most successful Christian media projects ever. Remarkably, The Chosen has managed simultaneously to draw a crowd from across the Christian denominational spectrum and to break into the secular realm, with streaming giants Amazon and Netflix showing the series. It is available in 26 languages and counting. The majority of The Chosen’s viewers are from English-speaking countries, but SAT-7 is part of a push to help the program, and thus the Gospel, reach one billion viewers all over the world.
Learn more about SAT-7’s work in the Middle East here: SAT-7 | Making God’s Love Visible (sat7.org)
Learn more about The Chosen here:
Read more stories from Sorted Magazine about The Chosen here:
Brits binge-watch The Chosen on big tellies – Sorted Magazine
Review: The Chosen Season Four Premieres in London – Sorted Magazine
Jonathan Roumie: “My faith informs how I play Him (Jesus)” – Sorted Magazine
Joey Vahedi (Thomas): “He’s someone who questions” – Sorted Magazine
Kirk Woller (Gaius): “Jesus’ message is profound and truthful” – Sorted Magazine
All Photo Credits: Courtesy of The Chosen
