MENA
SRJ Sports hires Townsend as CEO, Saudi strengthens esports supremacy with World Cup launch
SRJ Sports Investments, the new vehicle created by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to further grow the kingdom's presence within global sport, has appointed Australian football executive D…
PFL eyes profitability by 2025, targets top fighters to fuel PPV
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) expects to be profitable by 2025, off the back of its Saudi investment that will fund the acquisition of top fighters and staging of showpiece events that in turn…
Visit Saudi lands significant AFC and CAF sponsorships
Visit Saudi, Saudi Arabia's tourism authority, has announced major sponsorship deals with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as it continues its huge…
UFC’s Saudi debut event to coincide with PFL launch in kingdom
The battle for mixed martial arts supremacy in Saudi Arabia has begun, with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) set to hold its first event in the kingdom in the first quarter of 2024
PepsiCo sub-brand Lay’s becomes title sponsor of Saudi Women Premier League
PepsiCo’s crisp sub-brand Lay’s has agreed a deal with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) to become the title sponsor of the Saudi Women Premier League.
Saudis first out the blocks in 2034 Fifa World Cup bid race
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) has submitted an official letter of intent to world governing body Fifa confirming its long-planned bid to host the 2034 World Cup, claiming today (Monday)…
Roma turns to Saudi for front-of-shirt sponsor
Italian Serie A club AS Roma has turned to Saudi Arabia to end its quest for a main shirt sponsor, agreeing a two-year deal with the Gulf state's winter entertainment festival, Riyadh Season
Times Internet bags BCCI rights in string of international territories
Times Internet, owner of cricket-dedicated broadcaster Willow, has secured exclusive Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) rights in North America, the Middle East and North Africa, and Southeast…
ICC goes to market in Mena with media rights to 2027
The International Cricket Council has launched separate invitations to tender (ITT) in the Middle East and North Africa for media rights to men's and women's tournaments in the 2024-27 cycle
Competitive threat of Saudi-backed PFL hits WWE, Endeavor share prices
News this week of Saudi Arabian state investment in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) has caused shares in both World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and Ultimate Fighting Group (UFC) parent Endeavor…
PFL targets UFC parity in five years after $100m Saudi investment
SRJ Sports Investments, the new vehicle created by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), has made its first move, a $100m (€92m) investment into US-based mixed martial arts promotion the Professional Fig…
CAF strikes deal to stage African Super Cup in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has strengthened its ties to African football with the announcement that the 2023 African Super Cup will be played in the Saudi city of Taif next month
New market and record prize money lures Next Gen ATP Finals to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has made its first significant move into tennis, today (Thursday), winning the bid to host the Next Gen ATP Finals, the end-of-season tournament for the best eight men's singles players aged…
QSI takes ownership of padel with WPT acquisition
Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), the Qatari government-backed investment fund, has completed its takeover of the sport of padel, with its Premier Padel series to merge with the rival World Padel Tour
BeIN strikes late US Open rights deal in Mena
Pay-television broadcaster beIN Sports has renewed its rights across the Middle East and North Africa to the US Open tennis grand slam for a further five years as part of a deal announced shortly before…
Starzplay follows beIN as RWC rights-holder in Mena
The forthcoming Rugby World Cup in France is to be streamed exclusively in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) by Starzplay, the subscription video-on-demand OTT service in the region
Qatar’s Al Thani elected Fiba president ahead of first World Cup in Middle East
Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani, of Qatar, has been elected president of the International Basketball Federation (Fiba), four months after the Gulf state was named host of the sport's showpiece tournament, the…
Global LaLiga deal and OFC pact: another day in Saudi Arabia’s project football
Saudi Arabia has extended its reach further into world football, with a major global sponsorship deal with Spain's LaLiga and a development partnership with the Oceania Football Confederation the latest projects announced today (Thursday).