Soccer is now considered by many to be the "global game" that is the top sport on every corner of the planet. The FIFA World Cup™, the biggest and most-watched sports event in the world, is soccer's showcase event, drawing massive global attention. More than 3.2 billion people tuned in for the 2014 tournament, with a large percentage of the viewers being youth and young adults under the age of 40.
The significant interest in this event presents a unique opportunity to reach an audience whose eyes will be glued to televisions during the 2018 tournament taking place June 14 through July 15. This is why SAT-7 decided to capitalize on the national enthusiasm being created over Egypt's qualification for the 2018 World Cup by kicking off the airings of Power Bank June 22 with a program focused on the World Cup. This new satellite television program is being produced through a partnership between SAT-7, the first and largest Middle East and North African Christian TV network, and Lutheran Hour Ministries to address some of the concerns amongst disillusioned youth in the Middle East and North Africa whose lives are often filled with emptiness.
The weekly, 60-minute variety show dramatizes real-life problems and struggles for young people and their families. Some of the concerns being addressed through the programs include struggles with relationships, romantic and inter-generational; economic uncertainty and employment challenges; pessimism about their future and stability of the region; and exploring the doubt and uncertainty many have in their faith. Many doubt God's grace and forgiveness and are uncertain of their role in life and God's intention for them.
"We pray this television outreach will bring God's love and mercy to millions of young Arab viewers who have really been suffering these past few years and are questioning their faith and place in society," says Rev. Dr. Douglas Rutt, LHM's executive director of international ministries. "Hearing about a God who loves them through mass media from the privacy of their own homes may be the only opportunity for many youth and young adults to hear this message at all."
Taped on multiple sets, each broadcast features a presenter directing the various program segments that include comedic dramas and skits, musical or comedy guests, and sit-down interviews and/or discussion. Between segments, dramatized video clips will air, and the themes introduced in each clip are then explored deeper during the interview portions of the broadcast — with Christian values being communicated throughout each segment of the broadcast.
More than 40 people are involved in each production, including cameramen, actors, writers, and back-stage production crew-making it one of the more ambitious projects that SAT-7 has ever produced. Kyro is one of the actors discovered by SAT-7 producers while participating in a church-sponsored program. While he has received many opportunities to act in secular programs, he often turns them down after reviewing the scripts because he only wants to work with programming that is focused on youth and helpful to others. He believes the messaging of Power Bank can have a lasting impact on the region.
"I enjoy doing comedy because it connects with people more easily, especially youth," says Kyro. "Comedy with a purpose connects people when done right. There is a lot of responsibility for us to create impactful and hopeful content for each show while making it easy to consume. All too often comedy done in the wrong way can end up misguiding young people."
Now that the broadcasts have begun on the NileSat satellite, SAT-7 will air each episode five times per week for 26 weeks through January 2019. The series will be rebroadcast from early spring through summer 2019 with season two of new episodes planned to launch that fall. The broadcast has the potential of reaching tens of millions of viewers in more than 20 countries spanning from as far west as Morocco to as far east as Iraq and the Persian Gulf.