The Saudi Pro League (SPL) has recently been making news with big plans and signings that have caught everyone’s attention. But Saudi Arabia has had problems, especially with getting big crowds, as it tries to match the world popularity of the English Premier League (EPL).
It is believed that Saudi Arabia has spent a total of $6.3 billion on sports deals over the past two years. These deals cover a lot of different sports, from football and golf to fighting, Formula 1, and e-sports. These efforts are part of a bigger plan to change the way sports are played in Saudi Arabia and help the income of the country as a whole.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has talked a lot about how sports help Saudi Arabia’s economy grow. Minister of Business and Industry (MBS) says that sports have grown from 0.4% of GDP to 1.5% of GDP overall. He says that sports and culture are important parts of growing tourism so that by 2030, 70 million foreign tourists will be coming every year.
To reach its tourism goals, Saudi Arabia has been working hard to make a full “calendar” of sports events that will bring in tourists all year long. In October, Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou will fight in a big fight in Riyadh, the capital of the country. The Super Globe, an international handball event, will be held in Dammam in November. In December, the Fifa Club World Cup and the Next Gen finals, Saudi Arabia’s first ATP tennis event, will both be held in Jeddah. The goal of these events is to make Saudi Arabia a year-round sports location that attracts people from all over the world with a wide range of sports hobbies.
Troubles with Getting People to Attend
The SPL has big goals, but they will have to deal with some big problems. Attendance at SPL games has been all over the place, and the results have been different in each ground. For example, the average number of people who visit Al-Hilal’s King Fahd International Stadium has more than doubled from last season to 25,850. But that’s still a lot less than the 68,752 seats it can hold. On the other hand, the average number of people attending games at King Abdullah Sports City, where current winners Al-Ittihad play, has been cut in half.
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One reason for this drop in crowd attendance could be that the sports market is now too full because of all the new culture and sporting events. Fans may have been drawn to watching global stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema at first, but the excitement seems to be wearing off.
Also, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) gave donations to four of the biggest teams in the SPL. This has made the competition more even, which could make some games less exciting.
Saudi Arabia’s Goals for the World and a Comparison with the EPL
The SPL wants to be as successful as the English Premier League (EPL), which has over $11 billion in world TV deals. The enthusiastic fans who fill EPL venues are a big part of what draws people from all over the world to the games.
The SPL has teamed up with the US sports marketing company IMG, which also works with the EPL, to reach more people around the world. This move shows that the SPL wants to be as popular around the world as the EPL.
It’s still hard on this front, though. After negotiating with DAZN, a global paid streaming service, IMG was able to get SPL games shown in the UK, Germany, and Austria. However, the estimated $500,000 deal for one year is not enough to fight at the top level.
Numbers of people who watch SPL games on DAZN have not been released yet. Still, the number of people watching the digital clips on YouTube is depressing, especially when compared to regional football leagues that have been around longer, like Egypt’s.
Saudi Arabian channel and SPL rights provider SSC has added experienced Egyptian sports pundit Medhat Shalaby to its team to help it reach a wider audience. He is allegedly paid $50,000 per game to commentate.
Even though the SPL is having a hard time getting world exposure and making money, it is still investing in big sports events and buying teams. The league’s long-term goals of boosting Saudi Arabia’s GDP and bringing in tourists from other countries are excellent. Still, they need ongoing work to fix problems with crowd numbers and viewing.
Notably, the good press that comes from having world-famous stars in Saudi Arabia and a full schedule of events could be very important in helping the league reach its goals. The Saudis are hoping that their investments will pay off and change the country’s sports scene and its image around the world as the SPL continues to grow.
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