The United Arab Emirates-based OTT streaming platform, Begin, has secured exclusive rights to broadcast the Saudi Pro League (SPL) matches live in Pakistan. This three-year deal will run through the 2027-28 season and is part of a broader strategy by Begin to expand its live sports content.
This move marks another significant step for soccer's top-flight Saudi Pro League as it continues to expand its global coverage. The league has seen a surge in popularity following the arrival of international superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo.
Brief history of Begin
Begin launched back in June 2024 and initially secured licensing rights for non-sports entertainment content from media giants NBCUniversal and Sony Pictures Entertainment. However, it made its first major sports rights acquisition last July when it picked up exclusive rights to broadcast Spanish soccer’s top-tier LaLiga matches live in Pakistan.
Begin Chief Executive, Jonathan Mark, said:
“We are proud to bring the Roshn Saudi League to Pakistan under a long-term agreement. The league has become one of the most exciting competitions in world football, attracting global superstars and capturing the imagination of fans everywhere.
“By securing these rights, Begin is ensuring that football lovers in Pakistan have reliable, high-quality access to world-class football, reinforcing our position as the leading destination for the sport in the country.”
Following this success, they secured Pakistani streaming video-on-demand (SVOD) rights for English soccer’s elite tier Premier League (EPL) for 2024-25. In October 2024, they agreed on a four-year broadcast deal with US women's golf's LPGA before securing broadcasting rights for Twenty20 cricket’s Pakistan Super League for the 2025 season.
Consolidating broadcast partnerships
As SPL gets underway with its 2025-26 season, it continues to consolidate its international coverage by strengthening existing partnerships and forging new ones. Sports marketing agency IMG recently renewed their agreement to distribute worldwide media rights to SPL until the end of the 2028-29 campaign.
Last week saw an expansion into India through a four-year deal with Indian streaming service FanCode which also covers Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. This deal, coupled with the recent agreement with Begin, significantly strengthens SPL's presence in the region.
In addition to these developments, several other deals have been recently secured by IMG. These include partnerships with ESPN (Africa), DAZN (DACH and France), Movistar (Spain), Fox Sports (USA, Mexico, LATAM, the Caribbean and Central America), Globo (Brazil), Sportitalia and ComoTV (Italy) and French content creator Zack Nani. Last month saw another significant development when SporTV, a Brazilian pay-television operator owned by commercial broadcasting giant Globo acquired broadcast rights to SPL ahead of the 2025-26 campaign which started on August 28.
