Brazilian pay-TV broadcaster BandSport has been forced to cancel its coverage of the 2026-27 Saudi Pro League (SPL) soccer season, according to reports.
BandSport, which has been airing SPL action this season, has been forced to cut its coverage due to the recent ban on TV betting advertisements by the country's government.
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The main Bandeirantes network has not yet publicly confirmed the decision or commented on the matter.
The coverage of this season's 18-team SPL on BandSport had been sponsored by a betting firm, whose name has not been revealed publicly.
The deal for 2026-27 included both free-to-air and pay-TV rights.
The decision to cut the SPL programming from BandSport was taken last weekend, Brazilian media has claimed – a game between Al Hilal and Al Ittihad had been scheduled for broadcast, but was canceled at less than 24 hours' notice.
There are currently 16 Brazilians contracted to SPL sides.
The time difference between the two countries’ capitals is six hours, meaning games played in the evening local time will be viewable around mid-afternoon for Brazilian audiences.
In terms of other Brazilian networks covering the league, Xsports struck a three-season deal in August, running through the 2028-29 campaign.
The aforementioned betting ban in Brazil effectively equates to a blanket ban on online gambling, and was unveiled in late September.
Online betting and sports betting were legalised in the country in 2018, and since then, their popularity has skyrocketed.
