Following Neymar’s transfer to Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia, the influence of Saudi football is spreading further and further. In fact, more than 48 television channels in South America have acquired the rights to broadcast Saudi football competitions. This fact clearly demonstrates the impact that a great player like Neymar can have.
More than 48 channels in South America have bought TV rights to broadcast Saudi Arabian football competitions following Neymar’s return.
The influence is real. pic.twitter.com/oFFLUmCBMy
— Ginga Bonito 🇧🇷 (@GingaBonitoHub) August 22, 2024
Before his arrival, only the Middle East and North Africa could follow the Saudi league thanks to Shahid Sports channels which exclusively held the rights in the region. However, after Neymar signed with Al Hilal, interest in the Saudi Pro League spread internationally. Indeed, 37 television channels from all continents, including Portugal, Spain, China, Thailand and Indonesia, acquired the rights to broadcast 2 matches per league matchday, in 125 different countries.
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Neymar’s influence on the Saudi championship
This sudden explosion of international media interest in Saudi football demonstrates the influence that a star player like Neymar can have. His move to Al Hilal marks a real turning point for the Saudi league, which now reaches a global audience thanks to the broadcasting rights purchased by many foreign networks following this high-profile signing.
This wave of television interest is just the beginning, with the Saudi league aiming to reach an annual turnover of 1.8 billion Saudi riyals (around 450 million euros) by 2030. A goal made possible by the massive investments made in recent years to attract the world’s biggest stars.
