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The Guardian
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Cristiano Ronaldo's £492m Saudi deal: two cynical regimes form a strategic alliance
The winners of next season's AFC Champions League Two, Asia's second-tier club competition, will receive about £1.8m. The winners of the Saudi King's Cup will receive just over £1m. Prize money for the Saudi Pro League is not disclosed, but by the most recent available figures (for 2022-23) is in roughly the same area. Weekly attendances at the King Saud University Stadium, where top-tier ticket prices start at about £12, range between 10,000 and 25,000, although of course you also have to factor in pie and programme sales above that. And so you really have to applaud Al-Nassr's ambition in handing an estimated £492m to Cristiano Ronaldo over the next two years. Even if they sweep the board at domestic level, if they fight their way past Istiklol of Tajikistan's 1xBet Higher League and Al-Wehdat of the Jordanian Pro League, if they extract maximum value from merch and sponsorships, you still struggle to see how they can cover a basic salary that comes to £488,000 a day, even before the bonuses and blandishments that will push the total package well beyond that. According to reports, the deal also involves Ronaldo taking a 15% ownership stake in Al-Nassr, extra incentives for winning the Pro League or the Golden Boot, a private jet allowance, 16 full-time staff including two chefs and three gardeners, and a bonus for every time he successfully presses an opposition player. Last one was a joke, obvs. And amid the stultifying assault of numbers, Ronaldo's new contract – announced to great fanfare last week – marks a significant shift in the evolution of the superstar athlete, a further blurring of the lines between what we used to call 'sport' and what we used to call 'the other stuff'. The first question to put: what exactly is Saudi Arabia getting for its money? Because of course Al-Nassr are a majority fund-owned club, an arm of the Saudi state, which is funnelling untold riches into its domestic league free from the encumbrance of cost controls or financial fair play rules. Ronaldo himself is in effect a Saudi employee, albeit one who has enjoyed much better fortune then most migrant workers who have entered the country in recent years. On the pitch, Ronaldo's influence has been highly visible: 99 goals in 111 games under four coaches. Give him a half chance in a tight space and even at the age of 40, there are still few players you would back over him. At the same time Al-Nassr have won no major trophies since his arrival and the club's two other big attacking talents, Jhon Durán and Sadio Mané, have found themselves overshadowed to such an extent that both may leave this summer. Let's charitably describe this one as: jury out. In recent months there was talk of Ronaldo getting a short-term deal to play in the Club World Cup, a competition that would seem perfect for him: based entirely around celebrity power, influencer fame and a distinct lack of running. Politically and commercially, there was literally no reason for this not to happen. And so we can conclude that while many clubs were interested in his star wattage, none were prepared to pay the going rate to remould their entire system around a 40-year-old striker who lost his last half-yard of pace in about 2017. But of course these days what Ronaldo can do on a football pitch is but a fraction of his total appeal. In an age when power itself is being reimagined along the lines of social media clout, when the attention economy and the actual economy are rapidly converging into one and the same thing, the fact Ronaldo is the most followed person on Instagram – and the third-most followed on X behind Elon Musk and Barack Obama – matters. In a way Ronaldo's fame renders him a kind of one-man city state, an influencer first and an athlete second, his goals and assists entirely tangential to the eyeballs he can garner in the process. What we have, in essence, is the professional athlete reimagined as a kind of plutocratic demigod, able to construct entire new realities around themselves. One in which the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia will be 'the most beautiful ever', or where the Saudi Pro League is 'one of the top five leagues in the world', as he recently put it. 'It's highly competitive, and those who don't know that simply haven't played here.' Fundamentally, this is not true on any measure: Opta ranks the Saudi Pro League as the world's 29th best. And of course by his own criteria, Ronaldo would have had to play in all the others in order to make a reasoned assessment. But when you have 659 million Instagram followers, perhaps whatever you say becomes true simply by saying it. Which is not to say the football is an irrelevance. Football is clearly still inherent to Ronaldo's self-image, albeit these days more as an adjunct to his power than as the source of it. Ronaldo still plays football in the same way that Donald Trump plays golf: as part of a broader cult of personality, something to get photographed doing, content for the feed. A branding exercise stripped entirely of context or objective judgment, complete with massaged numbers and a coterie of obedient applauding acolytes. As is the continuing fixation on his physique, the positioning of Ronaldo as a kind of Übermensch, a transcendent individual, a higher form of biology, albeit one that still possesses an unerring ability to put free-kicks straight into the wall. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion And so Al-Nassr (and to a lesser extent the Portuguese national team) are no longer paying for Ronaldo the footballer. What they're buying is Ronaldo the spiritual leader, the attention machine, the aura, the abdominals, the soft-power influence. They're buying a place on his grid, the opportunity to allow one of the world's most famous men to do their bidding. Perhaps it helps to think of his new contract as a kind of trade deal, a strategic alliance between two cynical regimes drunk on their own power and with largely congruent social views. 'I belong to Saudi Arabia,' Ronaldo stated proudly on announcing his new contract last week. And of course many star athletes in many sports have succumbed to the lure of the Saudi riyal, and will continue to do so. But there is a tonal difference between taking the money of a rogue state and actively advocating for them on the broadest possible stage. For years we have spoken of Saudi investment as a kind of moral dilemma, a fine balance of pecuniary motives, reputational concerns and human rights. For Ronaldo, it is clear that no such dilemma exists. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
The Hindu
29-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Swiatek slams ‘intense' calendar as players feel the grind to protect rankings
Iga Swiatek criticised the relentless tennis calendar on Sunday, with the former world number one saying that players should not be forced to compete in more than 20 tournaments a year to maintain their rankings. Now ranked fourth in the world, Swiatek described being trapped in a system where she had to choose between representing her country and focusing on herself after she reluctantly skipped Poland's Billie Jean King Cup qualifier in April. The 11-month grind has been one of the cornerstones of the lawsuit filed by the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA) against the sport's governing bodies in March after the union described it as 'unsustainable'. 'The scheduling is super intense, it's too intense. There's no point for us to play over 20 tournaments in a year,' Swiatek told reporters when asked about the biggest challenge to players in terms of mental health. 'Sometimes we need to sacrifice playing for your country because we need to keep up with playing these WTA 500s, for example, because we're going to get a zero in the ranking. 'I think these kinds of obligations and the rules about mandatory tournaments just put pressure on us. I think people would still watch tennis, maybe even more, if we played less tournaments. The quality would be better.' Swiatek is the eighth seed at Wimbledon this year and she faces Polina Kudermetova in the first round on Tuesday. The claycourt specialist with four French Open crowns fell in the semifinals at Roland Garros this year and she quickly switched her focus to grass which has historically been her weakest surface. Also read | From King to Krejcikova: List of Wimbledon women's singles champions in Open Era She reached her first grasscourt final on Saturday at the Bad Homburg Open where she was left in tears after losing to top seed Jessica Pegula, but Swiatek is happy with her improvement on grass as she comes to grips with the faster surface. 'It's not like a huge change. It's not like 180 degrees change. I wouldn't say now suddenly everything is perfect, because it's still a difficult surface. It's still tricky,' Swiatek said. 'Every year it feels like it's a little bit easier to get used to the surface and then you have more time to just develop as a player.'
Broadcast Pro
17-06-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Thmanyah wins exclusive Mideast rights to Saudi football leagues
The rights include coverage of the following competitions, King Cup, Saudi Pro League (Roshn League), Saudi Super Cup and First Division League (Yelo League). Thmanyah Publishing and Distribution, the media subsidiary of Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG), has acquired exclusive broadcast rights for the Saudi Pro League (SPL) across the Middle East, marking a significant expansion into sports broadcasting for the company. The landmark deal includes not only the SPL but also extends to the King Cup, the Saudi Super Cup and the First Division League. The agreement will run from the 2025-26 season through 2030-31. Under the new rights arrangement, Thmanyah will offer two modes of coverage: select matches will be broadcast free-to-air via new satellite channels, while premium content and enhanced viewing experiences will be available through subscription-based digital platforms. The first competition under the new deal will be the Saudi Super Cup, set to be held in Hong Kong in August, featuring top clubs Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ittihad and Al Qadsiah. Thmanyah's entry into sports broadcasting marks a notable shift for the company, which has traditionally focused on producing Arabic-language digital content such as documentaries, newsletters, articles and podcasts aimed at documenting contemporary Arab society. Despite its lack of experience in live sports coverage, Thmanyah was selected following a competitive bidding process. According to the Saudi Pro League, First Division League, and the Saudi Football Federation (SAFF), the decision was based on Thmanyah's technical proposal, content and distribution strategy, and alignment with the league's broader goals to expand its media footprint and achieve financial sustainability. The SPL's media rights in the region have shifted hands several times over the last decade. From 2014-15 to 2023-24, MBC held the rights before the agreement was terminated early by Saudi Arabia's sports ministry. Saudi Telecom Company took over for a contract intended to last until 2027-28, but that deal also ended prematurely. It was succeeded by Saudi Sports Company (SSC), which has held the domestic broadcast rights since the 2022-23 season and will continue through 2024-25. SSC coverage is currently accessible via its television network and digital platforms including Shahid and GBOX. Meanwhile, international distribution has been managed by IMG, which holds the global broadcast rights for the SPL for the last two seasons and is committed to production services through the 2028-29 season. SPL's international visibility has expanded in recent years through deals with major broadcasters such as Canal Plus in France, DAZN in multiple territories, Fox in the US and the Caribbean, Okko in Russia, Tencent in China, and SportyTV in Nigeria and Ghana. Thmanyah's foray into sports broadcasting represents both a strategic shift and a bold commitment to elevating Saudi football's reach across the region, positioning the company at the forefront of the Kingdom's evolving sports media landscape.
Argaam
14-06-2025
- Business
- Argaam
Thmanyah wins Saudi football broadcast rights for five years
The Saudi Pro League, the First Division League, and the Saudi Football Federation announced today, June 14, the awarding of exclusive broadcasting rights for Saudi football tournaments in the Middle East and North Africa to Thmanyah Publishing and Distribution. The rights include coverage of the following competitions, King Cup, Saudi Pro League (Roshn League), Saudi Super Cup, and First Division League (Yelo League). Thmanyah will broadcast the matches from the 2025/2026 season through 2030/2031. The matches will be broadcasted freely via newly launched satellite channels and subscription-based packages that offer additional benefits, delivered through an integrated digital and television experience. The concerned parties confirmed that the selection of Thmanyah, a subsidiary of the Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG), came after both local and international competition. This was based on criteria such as technical capability, content and distribution quality, and alignment with strategic goals to enhance media presence and financial sustainability for the tournaments.
Arab News
31-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Benzema storms back to take acclaim as Aouar stars in Ittihad's cup triumph
DUBAI: Form is temporary, class is permanent. After a difficult start to his Al-Ittihad career, Karim Benzema has stormed back to his best to crown a sensational season with a two goal-performance as the Yellows added the King Cup to their recent Saudi Pro League triumph. Team-mate Houssem Aouar was nominated as the man of the match in the 3-1 win over Al-Qadsiah in Friday's final at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. As the celebrations continued the day after the final, football accounts and fans — many from France and former club Real Madrid — across social media have been united in their praise for the former Ballon d'Or winner, who on Wednesday was named 2024-25 player of the season by the Saudi Pro League. On X, @433, which has a following of 5.8 million, commented: 'AL ITTIHAD WIN THE SAUDI DOUBLE! What a season for Karim Benzema: Saudi Pro League. King's Cup. Player of the Year.' Meanwhile @theMadridZone, with 1.4 million followers, posted a photo of Benzema with the King Cup and Saudi Pro league trophies following the presentation after Friday's final. Just three days earlier, the same account had posted: 'Congratulations to Karim Benzema for winning the Saudi Pro League with Al-Ittihad. Champion wherever he goes.' Al-Ittihad's own English account on X had simply posted: 'THE GOAT. Player of the Season @Benzema.' The French star became the first player since Julio Tavares of Al-Faisaly to score twice in the final of Saudi Arabia's premier cup competition with goals in the 34th minute and deep into stoppage time at the end of the match. The first came from a clever chested effort from Steven Bergwijn's cross from the right while the second was a simple tap-in from close inside the six-yard box to end Al-Qadsiah's dreams of a late miracle. Aouar scored Al-Ittihad's second on 43 minutes while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang replied with Qadsiah's solitary effort six minutes into stoppage time at the end of the first half with a penalty as the Jeddah giants claimed their tenth title in the competition. At the final whistle, a celebrating Benzema still found time to console former Real Madrid colleague and current Qadsiah captain Nacho with a warm hug. Benzema had joined Al-Ittihad in the summer of 2023 but his first season did not go to plan as the then reigning champions failed to retain the SPL title they had won for the first time in 14 years the previous campaign. Injuries and lack of form, not to mention managerial changes at the club, led to frustration from supporters who questioned the wisdom of Benzene's signing as Al-Hilal stormed another League title. All that has been forgiven and forgotten as Benzema rolled back the years to score 21 SPL goals for Laurent Blanc's team in 2024-25, behind in the top scorer's chart to only Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo with 25 and Al-Ahli's Ivan Toney with 23. The King Cup double was the icing on the cake for the 37-year-old Ittihad captain. While Benzema has rightly been lauded by his club's supporters and others across the region for his display, Algeria's Aouar has been named player of the match by football platform Sofascore, which awards players scores out of 10 for their performances. Aouar was given 8.3 for his own starring role against Al-Qadsia, which saw him nod-in from close range after Qadsia goalkeeper Koen Casteels had saved brilliantly from Benzema's header. Ittihad goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic was second with a score of 8.0 while Benzema came third with 7.9.
