The Saudi Pro League (SPL) and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) have announced a new five-year production partnership with the IMG, a global sports, events and representation company, for the Roshn Saudi League (RSL), the King’s Cup (the Saudi Arabian football knockout Cup competition) and the Saudi Super Cup (an annual Super Cup football tournament organized by the SAFF) starting from the 2024-2025 seasons.
‘SPL’ stated that this season will mark a significant shift for the SPL and the SAFF as the IMG takes on the role of the broadcast producer for the RSL, the King’s Cup and the Saudi Super Cup in partnership with the SPL and the SAFF combining the expertise of the local partners with the IMG’s world-class production experience and capabilities. The strategic collaboration will ensure best-in-class production quality, innovation and consistency across all the RSL, Saudi Super Cup and King’s Cup matches.
Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)-based the Saudi Pro League (SPL), also known as the Roshn Saudi League (RSL) for sponsorship reasons, is the highest division of association football in the Saudi league system.
Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)-based the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) is the football governing body of Saudi Arabia. Founded in 1956, its responsibilities include administration of the club competitions and the national teams. The founder of the SAFF is Prince Abdullah bin Faisal Al Saud.
The IMG is said to be the largest independent producer of sports programing in the world. It is a global sports, fashion and media company.
‘SPL’ further stated that the 2024-2025 seasons broadcast of the RSL, King’s Cup and the Saudi Super Cup will feature more dynamic storytelling and captivating content that highlights the excitement of the matches and celebrates the rich culture and passion that drive the sport. This will enable the partners to offer deeper insights as well as more engaging and entertaining narratives enhancing the viewing experience for the fans around the world and fostering a deeper connection with the league.
As part of the production partnership, the SPL and the SAFF will serve and act as the host broadcaster for the King’s Cup and the Saudi Super Cup. This collaboration ensures that these competitions will benefit from the same high standards of production quality and distribution expertise further enhancing the viewing experience for the fans both domestically and internationally.
The IMG will also help the SPL and the SAFF to implement advanced remote production technologies allowing the leading producers to oversee the matches across multiple Cities on the same day ensuring that the highest production standards are maintained regardless of the location.
Observed Omar Mugharbel, head honcho of the Saudi Pro League, “Our new production partnership marks a significant step forward for the SPL as we continue our transformation and growth on and off the pitch. Our collaboration with the IMG reflects our commitment to bring world-class production standards to Saudi football with the league the central host producer. By leveraging the expertise of the IMG and maintaining strong partnerships with the local and the regional distributors, the SPL is poised to deliver an unparalleled football viewing experience to fans around the world through technology, innovation and talent.”
Added Barney Francis, Executive Vice-President (EVP) of Studios at IMG, “The Saudi Pro League is one of the most exciting and fastest-growing leagues in global football with fans around the world now tuning in to watch thrilling action between some of the game’s biggest stars. In today’s battle for attention, it’s critical for the rights holders to take control of their narrative and innovate. We are excited to help the SPL take its content offering and storytelling to the next level for the viewers and the broadcasters and to provide opportunities for the local broadcast and production talent to be part of the journey.”
The IMG produces content for some of the world’s biggest leagues. The company’s state-of-the-art studio facilities at the Stockley Park in London (UK) are among Europe’s best-connected broadcast centers powered by 100 percent renewable energy and broadcasting over 35,000 hours of content annually.
In addition to the new production partnership, the IMG will continue to distribute the RSL’s media rights internationally for the 2024-2025 seasons having signed a two-year agreement at the start of the 2023-2024 seasons. Last season, the RSL matches were aired in more than 160 countries on more than 40 global platforms across six continents.
Matches were available on DAZN (a British over-the-top [OTT] sports streaming and entertainment platform) in multiple territories including Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom, as well as on major European broadcasters such as Canal+ (France), Sport TV (Portugal), La 7 (Italy), Marca.com (Spain), and Cosmote (Greece), among others. For the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the SSC (Saudi sports network) holds the linear TV rights and the digital rights are managed through Shahid (an Arabic content-streaming platform).
The SPL launched its transformation strategy in early 2023 aligning with the Vision 2030’s broader sports objectives and aiming to position the RSL among the top performing football leagues globally. The strategy focuses on nurturing young talent, securing the leading international footballers and improving the club governance while driving competitiveness on and off the pitch.
The Saudi Vision 2030 is a Government program launched by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which aims to achieve the goal of increased diversification economically, socially and culturally in line with the vision of the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.
The strategy outlines four main objectives:
- Developing the sport and nurturing talent;
- Elevating the fan experience and infrastructure;
- Enabling club growth and financial stability; and
- Foster advancement in broadcasting, media and commercial endeavors.
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