The Saudi Arabian top-flight soccer league, the Saudi Pro League (SPL), has seen a significant increase in its annual media rights revenue over the past two seasons. This comes as part of a global push that will see the league broadcasted in over 180 territories across the 2025-26 campaign.
The SPL announced an uplift of 20% to its annual media rights revenue globally. This growth is attributed to several new agreements secured recently, which have led to an increase in media rights revenue for three consecutive cycles. On a region-by-region basis, Asia outperformed with an uplift of 35%. This was largely due to new multi-year deals with Spotv in Southeast Asia, Fancode in India, and Begin in Pakistan.
In addition to this, the Americas also saw substantial growth with values up by 32%. This was bolstered by a high-profile multi-year rights deal with Globo in Brazil and major US sports broadcaster Fox Sports. Meanwhile, Africa experienced a surge of 25% powered by ESPN Africa's coverage agreement for SPL games.
Expanding reach through short-form content
Apart from broadcast agreements, SPL has also been working on expanding its reach through short-form content such as highlights. Platforms like YouTube, OneFootball and DAZN have been leveraged for this purpose where SPL has established content hubs.
Omar Mugharbel, Chief Executive Officer at SPL, said:
“We are entering a new era of global visibility and fandom for our league. By partnering with a mix of world-class broadcasters and innovative digital platforms we are making the Roshn Saudi League accessible to football fans around the world. The long-term nature of these agreements reflects the strong commitment our partners have in our journey and the exciting future of the RSL."
IMG - one of the leading sports marketing companies - manages SPL’s media rights. Since taking over distribution responsibilities from August last year when they signed another four-year cycle contract with SPL; IMG reported that international coverage has grown significantly. Last season’s matches were aired in more than 184 countries on over 43 global platforms across six continents, a significant increase from the 2023-24 season when Saudi Pro League games were covered in only 160 countries on more than 40 platforms.
The Saudi Pro League's strategic partnerships and expansion into new territories have led to an impressive growth in its media rights revenue. This is a testament to the league's growing popularity among sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts worldwide. As it continues to expand its reach through various platforms, the future looks promising for this top-flight soccer league.
