Saudi Arabia
Sony becomes founding partner of Saudi-backed Esports World Cup
The Sony Group has announced a multi-year agreement to become a founding partner of the Saudi-backed Esports World Cup, which takes place this summer in the kingdom’s capital city, Riyadh.
International sales push Saudi Pro League towards $100m annual media rights income
The Saudi Pro League is on course to earn about $15m per season for its international media rights for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, taking its total global media rights income to about $100m per season.
Competitive threat of Saudi-backed PFL hits WWE, Endeavor share prices
News this week of Saudi Arabian state investment in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) has caused shares in both World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and Ultimate Fighting Group (UFC) parent Endeavor…
PFL targets UFC parity in five years after $100m Saudi investment
SRJ Sports Investments, the new vehicle created by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), has made its first move, a $100m (€92m) investment into US-based mixed martial arts promotion the Professional Fig…
Spring Media seeking out broadcasters for Riyadh’s World Combat Games
The Spring Media agency has been appointed to distribute global broadcast rights to the 2023 World Combat Games, which are scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from October 21 to 30
PGA Tour, DP World Tour and PIF agree bombshell commercial merger
The PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) are to merge commercial operations under common ownership in a shock tripartite agreement that ends all pending litigation r…
HBA Media details broadcast reach for 2023 Saudi Cup
The HBA Media agency has said the 2023 Saudi Cup horse racing event will be broadcast by 35 rights-holders across the world, including a number of new signings
Saudi Tourism Authority finalises sponsorship deal with IPL
Saudi Arabia's national tourism authority has become a sponsor of the Indian Premier League T20 cricket tournament
Saudi Pro League nets more distribution in Europe ahead of Ronaldo debut
The Saudi Professional League and its appointed IMG agency have finalised a flurry of media rights deals ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s debut in the competition.
Social and streaming platforms offer PPV coverage of PSG v Riyadh All-Star XI
Douyin, Facebook, OneFootball, PSG TV, Twitch and YouTube will carry coverage of today's (Thursday's) exhibition match in Saudi Arabia between Paris Saint-Germain and Riyadh All-Star XI, that will see…
Saudis blocked from watching World Cup on BeIN’s new streaming platform
TOD, the official streaming platform of the Fifa World Cup in Saudi Arabia, and all the Middle East and North Africa, has been blocked in Saudi Arabia from the beginning of this year’s tournament in Q…
LIV Golf president: ‘We need to commercialize the product’
LIV Golf president Atul Khosla has made it clear that the primary goals of the Saudi-backed breakaway series in 2023 are to land "milestone" sponsorship and television rights deals to begin commercializing…
SSC acquires Saudi Professional League rights in nine-figure deal
Saudi Sports Company (SSC), the state-controlled sports media company, has acquired domestic broadcast rights to the Saudi Professional League (SPL), Saudi Arabia’s King’s Cup and the Saudi Super Cup in a three-season agreement running from 2022-23 to 2024-25.
Whisper to produce Usyk v Joshua II, fight free to watch in Ukraine
UK-based sports production company Whisper has been appointed by Saudi promoter Skill Challenge Entertainment to deliver the world feed host broadcast of the heavyweight boxing fight between Oleksandr…
Bids, bailouts and plots form backdrop of Serie A’s YouTube experiment
Italy’s Serie A will continue to make its matches available for free on YouTube in the Middle East and North Africa for the remainder of the 2021-22 season, despite receiving bids from broadcasters in the region.
HBA Media adds seven new broadcasters for Saudi Cup
The HBA Media agency has secured seven new broadcast rights-holders for the Saudi Cup, as it expands coverage of the annual horse racing fixture for the third consecutive year
Falling Japanese market drags down AFC global rights value
A large decrease in Japan has dragged down the global value of Asian Football Confederation media rights by at least 13 per cent in the 2021-24 cycle.
Court rejects beIN’s Selevision Saudi counterclaim but flags piracy link
London’s High Court of Justice has rejected a counterclaim made by pay-television broadcaster beIN Media Group against Selevision Saudi, but highlighted evidence that raises a “serious issue” over the S…