Business of Sport Oman Air signs sponsorship with Chelsea FC Oman Air has signed a three-year sponsorship deal to become the global airline partner of English Premier League football club Chelsea. The sultanate’s flag carrier is looking to capitalise on Chelsea’s international following. The partnership will include co-branded livery, joint promotional content and corporate social responsibility campaigns. Financial details around the deal were not disclosed. […] July 6, 2023
Business of Sport PIF plans new subsidiary to boost sports investments Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) aims to establish a multi-billion-dollar investment company to expand its sports interests globally. The new entity will have a war chest to fund its expansion, the Financial Times reported, citing an informed source. The move reaffirms Riyadh’s drive to make more acquisitions, investments and joint ventures in football, tennis […] July 6, 2023
Opinion Business of Sport The Gulf’s bid for global dominion in sport Governments are spending billions in the hope it will accelerate economic transformation July 5, 2023
Business of Sport Steven Gerrard is Saudi’s latest big-name football signing Former Liverpool and England midfielder Steven Gerrard is the latest name to be recruited into Saudi Arabia’s football revolution after being named manager of Al-Ettifaq. The 43-year-old has signed a two-year deal, following players including Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy to the kingdom. “Gerrard’s presence will be an addition […] July 4, 2023
Business of Sport Bayern Munich and Qatar Airways end $50m sponsorship German football club Bayern Munich will not renew its five-year sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways after it expires this month. The decision was made by mutual consent, according to a joint statement issued on the club’s website on Wednesday. “The connections that FC Bayern has been able to forge with its fans in the Arab […] June 28, 2023
Business of Sport Saudi’s PIF governor to chair PGA and LIV merged entity The framework of the merger agreement of the PGA Tour and Saudi-backed LIV Golf says a for-profit subsidiary of the US golfing body will be created to manage commercial investments and assets for all tours, according to a copy reviewed by Reuters on Monday. The PGA Tour will have a permanent controlling interest in the […] June 27, 2023
Business of Sport Qatar ‘closing in on major US sports investment’ Qatar is ready to take a shot at the $500 billion US sports market with a reported investment interest in Monumental Sports & Entertainment. The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) is set to buy a 5 percent stake in Monumental, the parent company of basketball side Washington Wizards and the National Hockey League’s Washington Capitals, according […] June 23, 2023
Aviation Sponsorship deal grows Emirates’ presence in Africa Emirates airline is to sponsor a Tunisian sports club, as the Dubai carrier looks to increase its revenues in Africa. The airline will sponsor Etoile Sportive du Sahel, which has teams across a number of sports including football, basketball, volleyball and handball. Emirates’ branding will be on the teams’ jerseys and training kits, as well […] June 23, 2023
Business of Sport Saudi football is no threat, say major Euro leagues Two of Europe’s top leagues have shrugged off the challenges posed by Saudi Arabia’s billion-dollar emergence onto the global football scene. Italy’s Serie A and Spain’s LaLiga told AGBI the kingdom’s quest to sign up some of the best talent in the sport will have no bearing on plans to increase their own market share […] June 22, 2023
Opinion Sustainability The Gulf can spearhead sustainability through football The beautiful game is a formidable tool for increasing Arab soft power June 21, 2023
Business of Sport Italy’s Serie A football league targets Middle East backers Italy’s Serie A is targeting investment opportunities from the Middle East, as the football league becomes increasingly attractive to global lenders and private equity giants. The Gulf region has sizeable interests in English football, including Saudi-backed Newcastle United and Manchester City FC, which is majority-owned by Abu Dhabi United Group. Qatar Sports Investments is also […] June 17, 2023
Business of Sport Manchester United and Qatari sheikh near $6bn deal English football club Manchester United is negotiating granting exclusivity to the consortium led by Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani in talks to sell itself for more than $6 billion, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. While a deal remains uncertain, the development represents a major milestone in the efforts of Sheikh […] June 16, 2023
Business of Sport Manchester United shares up as Qatar bid tipped to win Shares of Manchester United rose 13 percent to hit a two-month high on Tuesday after a news report indicated that Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar was likely to succeed with his takeover bid for the English football club. Qatar’s Al-Watan newspaper reported that Sheikh Jassim was likely to be announced as the […] June 14, 2023
Business of Sport Latest ‘deadline’ looms in Manchester United takeover Manchester United fans can be forgiven if they refrain from eagerly checking the news on Friday as the latest ‘deadline’ looms in the meandering seven-month saga of the club’s sale that is beginning to resemble the final series of TV’s Succession. In this real-life battle of the billionaires, Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani […] June 12, 2023
Business of Sport LIV Golf merger may face challenge from US authorities US competition authorities may intervene to prevent Saudi Arabia’s plans for a merger of two golf bodies and its own LIV Golf, under its own direction, industry experts have warned. Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf series, backed by millions of dollars from the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, announced on Tuesday plans to merge with the traditional […] June 9, 2023
Analysis Business of Sport Sport privatisation next goal for Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia has revived a blueprint for the future of sport in the kingdom as it looks to increase revenue significantly and attract more of the world’s biggest football names to its fledgling league. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman revealed plans this week to transform the Saudi Pro League into a SAR8 billion ($2.1 billion) […] June 7, 2023
Business of Sport LIV Golf brokers peace deal with global rivals A peace deal brokered between the breakaway Saudi-led LIV Golf series and its global rivals has been hailed as a “historic” move, after months of bitter legal challenges over the future of the sport. In a shock announcement on Tuesday, it was announced the Saudi series had reached an agreement with the PGA Tour and […] June 7, 2023
Business of Sport Newcastle Utd’s shirt kicks off sponsorship rules debate Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is believed to be in talks to award Newcastle United Football Club’s latest shirt sponsorship deal to a little known sports entity it owns. While the move means the country has decided to leave its major powerhouse brands on the bench, experts believe the deal may still fall foul of […] May 25, 2023
Business of Sport Qatar’s sheikh sweetens final bid for Manchester United Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has submitted a new bid, estimated close to £5 billion ($6.31 billion), for Manchester United Football Club. The sweetened offer intends to beat the bid made by British petrochemicals billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, UK-based news outlets reported. Al Thani is offering to buy 100 percent of the club […] May 17, 2023
Business of Sport Mubadala wins $440m court case against Real Madrid An international court has ruled in favour of Abu Dhabi sovereign investor Mubadala in a $440 million case against Spanish football giants Real Madrid. The lawsuit surrounded a potential 20-year sponsorship deal for the naming rights to Los Blancos’ Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Real Madrid claimed Mubadala had reneged on the agreement, which was originally struck […] May 15, 2023
Analysis Business of Sport US sports the latest goal for Mena investors The $500 billion American sports market could be the next target for Middle East investors, analysts have said, as two more NBA teams unveil plans to play pre-season games in the UAE. The Dallas Mavericks will face the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi in October this year. They follow in the […] May 14, 2023
Business of Sport G42 to give Mercedes a push in Formula One The Mercedes Formula One team is relying on a partnership with an Abu Dhabi based tech company to develop artificial intelligence to give it an edge on the track. A multi-year deal aims to harness the potential of AI as the two companies explore ways to embed software and tech solutions in the team’s operations, […] May 5, 2023
