Sports marketing giant, IMG, has broadened its relationship with the Saudi Pro League (SPL) and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), by securing a five-year production deal. This agreement further strengthens the existing ties between these entities and sets an exciting stage for soccer fans worldwide.
Under this new agreement, IMG will take on the role of broadcast producer for several key competitions within Saudi football. These include the top-tier league - The King's Cup, and the knockout competition - The Saudi Super Cup.
This expanded partnership will run through to 2028-29 season, during which SPL and SAFF will serve as host broadcasters for both aforementioned competitions. In addition to this, IMG is set to assist these organizations in implementing remote production technologies. This means that producers can oversee matches across different cities on the same day.
Building on existing relationships
The recent deal builds upon an already established relationship between IMG and SPL where they collaborated on distributing media rights worldwide. This was cemented last June when both parties disclosed a two-year deal. During 2023-24 season alone, Saudi Pro League games were covered in over 160 countries across more than 40 platforms including streaming heavyweight DAZN as one of their primary broadcasters.
Barney Francis, Executive Vice President of Studios at IMG expressed his enthusiasm about this new partnership stating that it would bring about exciting opportunities in sports broadcasting.
Barney Francis, IMG’s executive vice president of studios, said:
“In today’s battle for attention, it’s critical for rightsholders to take control of their narrative and innovate. We are excited to help SPL take its content offering and storytelling to the next level for viewers and broadcasters, and to provide opportunities for local broadcast and production talent to be part of the journey.”
Growing and improving Saudi Football
The announcement comes just ahead of next year's 18-team Saudi Pro League which is scheduled to run from August through May next year. In addition to their work with SPL and SAFF, IMG also recently announced a multi-year TV production deal for English football’s EFL matches – organizer of England's second-, third-, fourth-tier competitions – starting from 2024-25 campaign through 2028-29.
IMG has been a partner of the EFL since 2019, producing livestream video broadcasts for the body. This new deal further solidifies IMG's position as a leading player in sports broadcasting and production.
The extended partnership between IMG, SPL, and SAFF is set to bring about exciting developments in soccer broadcasting. With its expertise in remote production technologies and global media rights distribution, IMG is well-positioned to enhance the viewing experience for soccer fans worldwide while promoting Saudi soccer on an international platform.
