The UGC curation service formerly known as Twitvid, has secured a $8 million B round of financing, and it’s using some of it to acquire the Dubai-based premium video startup Sha Sha –  and is now using the team and its contracts to launch a video subscription service in the Middle East.

Telly says it saw huge growth for its service in that area, but didn’t know how to easily monetise those eyeballs through advertising. That’s why it decided to instead try its hand at a Netflix-like subscription video play, which the company plans to launch within the first quarter of 2014, Telly told Gigacom.

The offering will be available through Telly’s apps, and include access to both local and Hollywood content.

Categories: Business, M&A, OTT, OTT, Premium, VOD