ARY dramas off YouTube in Pakistan: how to watch them on ARY Plus

If you have been searching YouTube for the latest episode of Dar-e-Nijaat and coming up empty, you aren’t alone. Since September 17, ARY Digital has stopped streaming its premium dramas on its official YouTube channel for viewers in Pakistan and is sending them to its own app, ARY Plus, instead.

What exactly changed

ARY Digital announced in September that new episodes of its dramas would be available online in Pakistan only through ARY Plus. Reports differ slightly on the scope: Dawn described it as the channel’s premium and selected dramas, while other outlets reported it as a wider move away from YouTube. Two of the channel’s biggest current shows, Dar-e-Nijaat and Bas Tera Saath Ho, were named in the coverage.

The change only applies inside Pakistan. According to Dawn, viewers abroad can still watch these dramas free on YouTube, which keeps the international advertising money and new overseas audiences coming in.

Is ARY Plus free?

Yes, for now. The app is free to download and use. The one paid item reported so far is the uncut live feed of the reality show Tamasha, which costs Rs100 in Pakistan and $1 abroad.

ARY says the app is popular already. Its own early figures, quoted by Dawn, put downloads at 10.8 million and average watch time at 25 minutes, even before the formal launch. Downloads aren’t the same as loyal viewers, though, and that’s the real test.

What ARY says the app is for

ARY Digital CEO Salman Iqbal told ARY News the app had been in the works for three to four years and called it “Pakistan’s very own Over-The-Top (OTT) streaming platform”. He described it mainly as an Urdu drama network, with ARY News and Jeeto Pakistan on board too.

Two plans stand out. Ordinary users and independent producers will be able to upload their own dramas and videos, and ARY says it’s bringing in a royalty system so creators keep earning for as long as their drama airs.

Why viewers are unhappy

Not everyone is convinced. When the news broke, many fans said online that they would rather stop watching than download another app, and some worried ARY Plus wouldn’t be as easy to use as YouTube on phones and smart TVs. ARY Digital’s YouTube channel has more than 68 million subscribers, and a Dawn analysis pointed out that YouTube is what gave Pakistani dramas their huge following in the first place.

How to watch now

1. Download ARY Plus from your phone’s app store (search “ARY Plus”).
2. Open the drama you follow; new episodes appear there after they air on TV.
3. Prefer television? The episodes still air on the ARY Digital channel at their usual times.

Whether this becomes the new normal for Pakistani dramas depends on what you, the viewers, do next. If ARY Plus keeps its audience, don’t be surprised if other channels follow.