Business of Sport Saudi sports push ‘winning global audiences’ Saudi sports investments are winning a global audience as the kingdom tries to overcome charges of “sport washing”, a major survey of media coverage said this month. Media analytics consultancy Carma found that coverage of human rights in Saudi Arabia fell in favour of “a sports-related narrative” around the world, including in the West. The […] June 25, 2024
Business of Sport UAE’s Mubadala acquires new Brazil SailGP team Mubadala Capital, a wholly owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company, has acquired a new team in SailGP, the global racing championship, to represent Brazil. The team will be the first South American squad to join the SailGP league and the first of the new teams confirmed ahead of Season 5, the state-run Wam […] June 24, 2024
Business of Sport Saudi wealth fund in talks to create new boxing league Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is in talks with boxing promotion companies to create a new boxing league, as the kingdom expands its investments into the sporting sector, according to a media report. The Public Investment Fund is negotiating with promoters such as the UK’s Matchroom Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions from the US to […] June 12, 2024
Business of Sport Qatar a step closer to hosting rugby Nations Championship Qatar has been given a two-month period of exclusivity to negotiate a deal to bring rugby’s Nations Championship to the Gulf state, according to reports. Last month Doha’s sport-focused Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy proposed an £800 million ($1 billion) eight-year deal to stage a six-match finals series, involving all 12 tier-one nations, starting […] June 6, 2024
Business of Sport Brokers pin hopes on darts being Riyadh’s next big sporting target Darts could be the next major sport to be staged in Saudi Arabia, with strong family ties linking it to brokers who have already negotiated deals in the kingdom, according to a leading sports analyst. Veteran sports promoter Barry Hearn revealed that discussions have taken place with a view to moving the PDC Darts World […] May 31, 2024
Opinion Business of Sport Marseille ticks boxes for Saudi’s next football foray Reports suggest the kingdom is keen to add the French club to its growing sports portfolio May 24, 2024
Business of Sport PIF to sponsor women’s world tennis rankings Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is giving its name to the women’s world tennis rankings, the latest sponsorship deal in the kingdom’s drive to dominate global sports. “The PIF WTA Rankings will track players’ journeys, and PIF will work with the WTA to celebrate and support players’ progress,” PIF said, calling the deal “multi-year”. […] May 22, 2024
Business of Sport LIV Golf chief says rugby next in line for Gulf funds Talks are taking place with sovereign wealth funds and private equity entities about potential Gulf investment in rugby, according to Mark Foster, senior vice president of finance operations at Saudi-backed LIV Golf Investments. Foster, a former Gloucester and Exeter Chiefs professional rugby player, told The Good the Bad & the Rugby podcast that discussions have […] May 17, 2024
Opinion Business of Sport Qatar faces tough rivals in fight for sporting dominance Qatar must build on its football World Cup success and has rugby and the Olympics in its sights May 9, 2024
EXCLUSIVE Business of Sport Binance to launch new Ronaldo NFTs ‘soon’ amid legal case Cristiano Ronaldo and the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance are to launch a fourth set of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) “soon”, as the footballer faces a $1 billion lawsuit for promoting the company. The Al Nassr and Portugal forward signed a deal with Binance in 2022 to create NFTs – digital collectibles – using his “CR7” […] April 26, 2024
Business of Sport Saudi Aramco signs up with Fifa as World Cup sponsor Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil producer, has signed a four-year global partnership with international football association Fifa. The energy giant will become Fifa’s major worldwide partner with sponsorship rights for multiple events, including the Fifa World Cup 26, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and the Fifa Women’s World Cup 2027. The value […] April 26, 2024
Analysis Tech World Cup’s brimming prize pot to revive Saudi esports Saudi Arabia will offer a record-breaking $60 million prize pool for its upcoming Esports World Cup, at a time when the kingdom is facing challenges attracting foreign investments to the sector. The amount of prize money for this summer’s event breaks the previous record of $45 million set by esports festival Gamer8 in 2023. Saudi […] April 19, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality Ronnie O’Sullivan to be Saudi snooker ambassador Saudi Arabia has signed a deal with the world’s top snooker player, Ronnie O’Sullivan, for him to act as an “ambassador” for the sport in Saudi Arabia. It was announced alongside news that Saudi Arabia has become an official sponsor of the World Snooker Championship that begins this weekend in Sheffield, UK. NewsletterGet the Best […] April 18, 2024
Business of Sport Riyadh secures three years of women’s world tennis finals Riyadh is to host the Women’s Tennis Association finals for the next three years, with record prize money for participants. The top eight singles players and doubles teams in the annual Race to the WTA Finals will play for a prize pot of $15 million, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) said in a statement. The […] April 5, 2024
Business of Sport Oman Air and Chelsea FC ‘terminate sponsorship deal’ A sponsorship deal between Oman Air and English Premier League club Chelsea FC has reportedly been terminated less than a year after it was signed. The three-year agreement was believed to be worth about £2 million ($2.5 million) a year and was announced last July. The partnership, which made the flag carrier the club’s global […] March 11, 2024
Analysis Business of Sport Saudi Arabia gives boxing a chance to reinvent itself World heavyweight champion Tyson Fury is no stranger to hyperbole. Thus only a few eyebrows were raised when he boldly claimed that boxing would be “dead” if it wasn’t for Saudi Arabia. The sport was looking decidedly punch-drunk before Saudi Arabia entered the ring almost six years ago. The first boxing card in Jeddah that […] March 7, 2024
Business of Sport Baseball United to launch Saudi franchises Professional baseball teams are to be launched in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam as part of plans by Baseball United to expand into Saudi Arabia. Baseball United was unveiled in August last year with ambitious proposals to launch the first professional baseball league in the Middle East, focusing initially on matches in the UAE, then Qatar, […] March 6, 2024
Business of Sport Qiddiya’s new racetrack bids for world motorsports crown Saudi giga-project Qiddiya will host a new racetrack in an attempt to become one of the world’s top motorsport venues. Located in Qiddiya city, the speed park track is slated to host the world’s most prestigious racing events, Qiddiya Investment Company, the project developer, said in a statement. Designed by Austrian former Formula One driver […] March 6, 2024
Business of Sport Saudi wealth fund becomes sponsor for ATP Tour Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund has become the official naming partner of the ATP rankings, part of its wider sponsorship of men’s tennis governing body. The Public Investment Fund will partner with ATP Tour events in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Beijing and the Nitto ATP Finals, in addition to the Next Gen ATP Finals, hosted […] February 29, 2024
Opinion Business of Sport Why cricket could be next on the list for Saudi Arabia’s PIF Saudi Arabia wants sports with mass participation, rich histories and big economies February 27, 2024
Business of Sport Emirates airline signs big US basketball sponsorship deal Emirates, the Dubai airline, has signed a sponsorship deal with the National Basketball Association in the United States that will see the NBA’s in-season tournament renamed the Emirates NBA Cup. Emirates will become the association’s official airline partner and referees’ kits will feature the airline’s logo. The airline’s patch will also be featured on the […] February 8, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality Saudi Arabia nears deal to create new cycling league SRJ Sports Investments, wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has backed a new cycling league, Reuters reported, citing three people familiar with the matter. The company, founded last year, is negotiating a potential investment of €250 million ($270 million) in the venture, which is spearheaded by major European cycling teams. If successful, this […] February 4, 2024
