Not only has he successfully rebranded Showtime’s channels, he has also added to the line-up of money-spinning sporting events, for which it has exclusive broadcast rights.

d’Halluin was integral to securing a deal in 2006 for the exclusive rights to air the lucrative English football Premier League in English and Arabic for three years across the whole of the MENA region. He oversaw the securing of the alleged $120m deal from rivals ART when he was hired as a consultant for several months before making the move to Showtime full time.

d’Halluin was selected largely because his experience in the pay-TV sector is second to none. In his previous role he was chief executive of France’s Canal Plus Nordic, with earlier positions held at top brands Fox Kids and Sony Pictures.

His latest success came in May, when the company announced that it had signed a five-year deal with MGM Worldwide Television to bring movie blockbusters to the small screen in the Middle East.

The agreement marks MGM’s first Video On Demand (VOD) offer in the region and offers the group’s films, which include the blockbuster James Bond series, exclusively to Showtime customers.