‘We see hope everywhere’: Mike Sneesby heading to the Middle East
Mike Sneesby
Former Nine CEO Mike Sneesby is heading to Saudi Arabia to take up the CEO role at MBC, the biggest broadcaster in the Middle East.
The job is a big one for Sneesby, with MBC – the Middle East Broadcasting Center – claiming 140 million daily viewers across the region and with a bigger streaming operation than he headed up at Nine.
Mike Sneesby
Sneesby has prior experience in the Middle East, having worked for a video startup in Dubai in the early 2010s. MBC was previously headquartered in Dubai (in the UAE), but shifted to Riyadh after the Saudi government took a majority stake in 2021. It went public in early 2024.
The Arabic language network was founded in London in 1991 by Waleed Al-Ibrahim, who remains the Chairman and retains a substantial minority stake.
MBC has been aggressively building its streaming service, Shahid, which claims 4.8m paying subscribers and around 20 million free viewers.
Sneesby’s journey has not been an easy one over the past few years. He left Nine in October 2024 with audiences and revenues declining and after months of pressure over revelations of cultural dysfunction. Before assuming the top job at Nine in 2021 – taking over from Hugh Marks, now ABC managing director – he had started and steered Stan to a strong position in the competitive local streaming market.
At MBC, Sneesby takes over from another well-established incumbent: Sam Barnett has worked for Al-Ibrahim’s MBC for over 22 years, 13 as CEO. Barnett is heading to Prague to lead CME (Central European Media Enterprises).
In a media release on the Saudi stock exchange, Sneesby’s use of the honorific “Sheikh” in reference to his new boss Al-Ibrahim gives some indication of the cultural gulf between the rough-and-tumble of Australian media and his new home.
“I would like to thank Sheikh Waleed for his trust and support, and I look forward to working with him and the MBC Board. It is a privilege for me to join the team following Sam’s great success and leadership over many years.”
MBC’s official slogan “we see hope everywhere” is a fitting one for Sneesby, who begins his new job May 1.
