Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG), the state-backed media company, has acquired exclusive broadcast rights for the Saudi Pro League (SPL) soccer competition in the Middle East.
Along with the SPL, the rights deal includes the King Cup knockout competition, Saudi Super Cup four-team competition, and second-tier First Division League from the 2025-26 season through 2030-31.
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Matches will be aired by SRMG’s subsidiary media company, Thmanyah Publishing and Distribution, in two ways – newly launched satellite channels will provide coverage free-to-air, while subscription-based platforms will offer additional content and interactive viewing experiences.
The rights deal will officially begin with the Saudi Super Cup in Hong Kong in August, featuring Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ittihad, and Al Qadsiah.
Thmanyah's rights acquisition comes despite the Saudi Arabian channel having little experience in sports broadcasting. Created as a media technology company that develops tools to enhance Arabic content online, it specializes in creating articles, newsletters, documentaries, and podcasts to document life in Arab societies.
The Saudi Pro League, First Division League, and the Saudi Football Federation (SAFF) said SRMG was chosen following a competitive bidding process, including technical capability, content and distribution quality, and alignment with the league’s goals to enhance media presence and financial sustainability for the named tournaments.
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By GlobalDataSaudi Pro League rights in the region were held by MBC from 2014-15 to 2023-24, but that deal was cut short by Saudi’s sports ministry from the 2018-19 season.
The rights were then acquired by Saudi Telecom in a deal running through 2018-19 to 2027-28.
However, that deal was also terminated early after talks between the SAFF and the Saudi sports ministry, with Saudi Sports Company (SSC) picking up the rights covering the 2022-23 to 2024-25 period.
Coverage by SSC was made available on SSC's TV channels as well as the sports packages on the Shahid and GBOX platforms.
Heavyweight sports marketing agency IMG has held international broadcast distribution rights for the last two seasons, and also has a production deal in place through 2028-29.
Well-known broadcasters with SPL coverage deals include the likes of Canal Plus in France, DAZN across five territories, Fox in the US and Caribbean, Okko in Russia, Tencent in China, and SportyTV in Nigeria and Ghana.
