It all began with one star. Two years ago, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr, one of the top football clubs in Saudi Arabia. Then came Benzema, Neymar, Kanté, Mané… and suddenly the Saudi Pro League (SPL) was on screens around the world. Matches were broadcast in more than 170 countries: from Canal+ in France and Fox Sports in the US, to DAZN in the UK, Shahid in MENA, Sony Sports Network in India, Canal Goat in Brazil or SPOTV in Indonesia. This year, before the 2025–26 season kicked off, Ronaldo extended his contract with Al-Nassr until 2027, confirming his role as the league’s global face. But the bigger story was hidden on the Saudi Pro League website, in the “Where to Watch” tab. That’s where the updated list of broadcast and streaming partners appeared. New broadcasters signed on, while others left or were replaced by competitors willing to invest more. The list grew from about 25 partners in 2022 to almost 40 in 2025. This may look like a small jump, but it shows the league is still winning trust. After the early hype, more partners are betting on the SPL as a way to capture new fans in their markets. Risky, yes, but also full of potential. Among the new names: Thmanyah in MENA, Fancode in India, DAZN in France, Fox Sports in Mexico, BEGIN in Pakistan, ESPN in Sub-Saharan Africa or Globo in Brazil. And here’s what caught my eye most: the diversity of these “broadcasters”. It’s no longer just TV networks. The list includes a global streamer, a podcast network, and even a YouTuber. Can you guess who they are? Why It MattersLet’s start with the streamer: DAZN. They began in 2016 as a sports streaming service and is now available in more than 200 countries. Known for bold bets on sports rights, from football to boxing, DAZN is expanding fast in MENA with support from Saudi Arabia’s PIF, the world's largest sovereign wealth fund. In Europe, DAZN currently holds live sports rights in France, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It looks like they no longer have rights in Belgium, Canada, or the UK. But they’ve made two smart moves:
Nassr TV: a new partnership with Al-Nassr to launch a dedicated section on DAZN featuring interviews, news, and highlights. Global highlights: they acquired free-to-view worldwide highlights rights for the 2025/26 and 2026/27 seasons. Now let’s move to MENA, the home market of the Saudi Pro League. Since 2021, rights have been with SSC (Saudi Sports Company) and Shahid (MBC Group). But there’s a new challenger: Thmanyah, a Saudi podcast company backed by SRMG, now entering live sports. Their first big test? Building a streaming platform from scratch to show four competitions: the Saudi Super Cup, Roshn Saudi League, King’s Cup, and Yelo League. The service went live just in time for the new season in August. It’s not perfect yet, but their bold, startup mindset gives them room to test, learn, and improve quickly. And finally, the most surprising move: Streamer Zack Nani bought rights to the Saudi Pro League in France. He now streams three matches per week plus highlights for free on YouTube and Twitch, while DAZN keeps exclusive pay-TV rights. His goal is clear: attract younger audiences. This is one of the first times a major football league has given rights to a content creator. It’s experimental, but if it works, it could change how younger fans discover and follow sports. What You Need To Do About ItThe Saudi Pro League is a live experiment in modern sports distribution. Here’s what it means for the media industry: For sports leagues: take note of the SPL’s flexibility. By mixing partners, TV, streamers, startups, and creators, they’re reaching fans in new ways. This approach may not replace exclusive broadcast deals, but it can complement them and open new revenue streams. For broadcasters and platforms: Don’t think in silos. Audiences no longer live in one channel or one service. The real opportunity is in combining reach with engagement and that may mean working with partners you wouldn’t have considered before. For brands and advertisers: The SPL shows how fan attention is spreading. If you want to reach them, you need to test new formats and platforms. Campaigns that only sit on TV or one streaming app will miss large parts of the audience. For the wider media industry: watch closely. The SPL’s model may define how sports rights are structured in the future, not only in MENA but also across Europe, and beyond. If you want to follow the evolution of the MENA streaming landscape, you can subscribe to The Streaming Lab newsletter, or reach out to me directly on LinkedIn. And for those traveling to Amsterdam for IBC this week, see you there! |
