Since the superstar Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al Nassr club, the Saudi Pro League has been successful in selling television rights to a total of 140 nations.

Since Ronaldo joined the squad earlier this year, the revenue generated from the Saudi League’s television rights has jumped by a factor of 6.5, according to the leader of the team, Carlo Nohra, who spoke with Bloomberg. The presence of the striker, who is 38 years old, also attracts a number of notable players from Europe to play in the Saudi League. These players include Karim Benzema, Neymar, N’Golo Kante, and Sadio Mane, among others. Nohra continued by saying that “our primary objective is unquestionably to increase the brand value of the league and the teams.”

On August 12, 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo was presented with the title of Arab Club Champions Cup with Al Nassr. Image credit: AFCOn August 12, 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo was presented with the title of Arab Club Champions Cup with Al Nassr. Image credit: AFC

Nohra further disclosed that one of the objectives of the competition is to establish a pathway for successful teams to go to the Champions League. In order to make this scenario a reality, the Saudi Football Federation and UEFA will engage in negotiations. However, Nohra stated that he continues to appreciate the AFC Champions League (also known as the Asian Cup) due to the fact that clubs from the Saudi League compete in this tournament.

The actions that the Saudi League representatives are doing this year are just the beginning of their journey toward their long-term goal of competing at the same level as the best leagues in Europe. “We’re trying to do things differently, and we’re open to change in order to grow,” Nohra explained further.

In addition to being covered in more than 170 countries, the English Premier League, Serie A, and Ligue 1 are each aired in a combined total of 200 nations and territories. Even though the Saudi League has transmitted to more than one hundred and forty countries, they still need to enhance the quality of their programming in order to maximize the value of their copyright contracts.

According to SportBusiness, the Saudi League brings in an income of $710,000 for the 2022-2023 season as a result of the sale of 28 broadcast rights packages. Because of the 6.5 times increase, the event has the potential to bring in more than 5.3 million USD during this season. However, this sum cannot be compared to the television money that the best European leagues bring in each season, which may range from hundreds of millions to billions of euros.

Even at the age of 38, Ronaldo is still a shining figure in the Saudi League, where he earns a salary of $ 200 million per season. Ronaldo is currently playing in Saudi Arabia. The majority of the money that is paid to him and the other stars comes from the coffers of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) in Saudi Arabia. According to Bloomberg, the total value of the fund’s holdings has reached $778 billion.