GLOBAL SENSATION ‘THE CHOSEN’ COMING TO SAT-7
SAT-7 is delighted to announce that the international hit series The Chosen will soon be broadcast on our 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 our satellite channels – ARABIC, PARS, and TÜRK – as well as online streaming platform SAT-7 PLUS. Once the episodes are fully dubbed into Arabic, Farsi, and Turkish, our viewers will be able to encounter Jesus through The Chosen on their television sets or personal devices.
SAT-7’s Ministry Content Advisor George Makeen says that 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.”
A UNIQUE GOSPEL PRESENTATION
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, USA – 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.”
UNPRECEDENTED SCALE
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 USD 10 million was raised, making The Chosen one of the biggest crowdfunded projects of all time.
Seven years and four series later, with the fourth recently released to theatres in the USA, 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 Chosen aims to film seven series in total, and wants all of them be free to watch, meaning the show relies on donations, merchandise sales, and an innovative ‘pay-it-forward’ scheme.
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.
PLEASE PRAY
- Give thanks for this opportunity for The Chosen to be broadcast to SAT-7 viewers across the MENA.
- Pray that many people will be drawn to Jesus through the series.
- Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide and inspire the program’s future series, and that the Lord will provide for its production.
Disclaimer: The Chosen is based on the true stories of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Some locations and timelines have been combined or condensed. Backstories and some characters or dialogue exchanges have been added.
However, all biblical and historical contexts, and any artistic imagination, are designed to support the truth and intention of the Scriptures. Viewers are encouraged to read the gospels. The original names, locations, and phrases have been transliterated.