This time last year, interest in the Saudi Pro League (SPL) across the globe barely scratched the surface. Even Saudis themselves weren’t particularly keen on the domestic game.
However, the country’s government’s relentless desire to emerge from the abyss and blossom into a serious player in the sporting realm has seen the SPL ascend rapidly up the relevancy scale.
While barely a soul outside of the Middle East possessed any sort of interest in the Saudi top-flight, events in recent months has seen intrigue skyrocket across the globe. The takeover of the SPL’s four most historically significant clubs by the Public Investment Fund has seen plenty of European stars take their talents over to Saudi Arabia.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema are the two flag-bearers for the SPL’s ascension, with the Real Madrid greats paving the way for another superstar in Neymar to make the Saudi plunge. Roberto Firmino, Ruben Neves, N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez and Allan Saint-Maximin are among the Premier League stars who have also opted for a lucrative Arab adventure.
While the league still has a long way to go before it can rival some of Europe’s best, viewership is destined to increase exponentially with the league becoming more available from a broadcasting perspective.
Here’s how you can watch Saudi Pro League games across the globe.
|
Country |
TV channel |
|---|---|
|
United States |
FOX Network |
|
Australia |
10 Play |
|
Brazil |
BandSports |
|
France |
Canal+ Sport360 |
|
Italy |
La7d |
|
Portugal |
Sport TV2 |
|
Turkey |
TV 8,5 |
The homelands of the Saudi Pro League’s new stars have all secured TV rights for the division. Canal+, for example, secured the rights for two years just before the start of the new season and will stream two games per week on various Canal+ sport channels in France and across several African countries, including Senegal – the home of Al Nassr’s Sadio Mane.
Those in Portugal can watch Ronaldo attempt to return Al Nassr to the summit of Saudi football via Sport TV2, while Neymar’s adorers in Brazil can access Al Hilal’s games via Bandsports. Turkey and Italy are among the other European countries to secure TV deals, as have the USA and Australia.
For those in countries that are yet to secure a TV deal, DAZN subscribers in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Belgium and Canada can watch three Saudi Pro League games per week.
While viewers can watch the Saudi Pro League via a DAZN subscription (£9.99 monthly), there is no TV broadcaster for the division in the UK yet.
In fact, there hasn’t even been a bid from a British broadcaster. Sky Sports were left unimpressed by the viewership figures for the highlights of Cristiano Ronaldo’s games they displayed on their YouTube channel last season, while TNT Sports are understood to not hold an interest in acquiring the Saudi Pro League rights.
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