MUMBAI: Showtime, the Middle East DTH pay TV platform recently opened the region's largest broadcasting center in Dubai.

The centre can handle over 200 channels. Showtime was set up in 1996 between Kuwait Projects and US media conglomerate Viacom.

The move consolidated the network's broadcast operations which had earlier been split between a purpose built facility at the MTV/Viacom studios in London, and a complementary uplink centre in Cairo.

Showtime broadcasts 50 channels of predominantly Western entertainment to the Middle East and North Africa from the NileSat position at 7 degrees West. The network also has customer contact centres located in Dubai, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan.

Three months ago Showtime launched a new movie channel Movietime. That took the number of film channels available on the network to 17.

The new 50,000 square feet Dubai facility also houses the network's headquarters operations including sales and marketing activities and advanced call centre and online customer service functions.

Reports further indicate that Showtime's new building is next to the Bukhatir owned Taj Television's Ten Sports office. On an adjacent corner is MBC, the Saudi-owned mainstream network that also owns news satcaster Al-Arabiya. Alongside MBC is CNN's Middle East operation.