Its going from a league that no-one considered to one that everyone does, says Adam Kelly.
Even Chinas CCTV, Tencent, Douyin, IQIYI, and Zhibo8 signed on.
None of the major streamers came in.
Saudi league star Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruben Neves (second right) could be joined by Kylian Mbappe and Jordan HendersonAurelien Meunier - PSG/PSG via Getty Images; Catherine Ivill/Getty Images; Will Palmer/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images; Gualter Fatia/Getty Images
A cool 171 million social media views across 96 markets suggests this worked.
However, this summer, theres been a step change.
There have been so many signings that ESPN now has a Saudi Arabia transfer tracker page updating daily.
France’s Kylian Mbappé during a UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying match in June.Christian Liewig – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
Me headed to Saudi when they call@RichPaul4&@mavcarterfor that 1 year deal!
Henderson has allied himself with LGBT+ soccer supporters groups and been vocal in his support for diverse lifestyles.
Newcastle fans now go, Great weve got a whole bunch of money,' he said.
I dont think it works.
I think theyre kidding themselves.
The Saudi Pro League and PIF hadnt responded to requests for comment at press time.
Locally, the league plays on MBCs Shahid and the SSC sports channels.
Ronaldos name has been transformational, sources close to IMG indicate.
Its like La Liga with David Beckham back in 2003, they add.
There was no English broadcaster until then and his transfer transformed the distribution.
People love local heroes and stars.
DAZN doesnt comment on rights deals.
Each is a good bet for signing on for longer-term packages.
Ultimately, this will be a hard sale.
Potential rights holders will have to strongly consider how they will recoup their investment.
For this reason, it is likely to remain niche, at least in the short term.
Its very much to be demonstrated, says Jack Genovese, Research Manager for Sports at Ampere Analysis.
The competition actually began in 1976, the same year of the Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada.
The Qatar World Cup last November was a clear sign of the times.
Im a big believer that the tide rises for all boats, says IMGs Kelly.
New leagues build and develop and seeing sports transcend from back pages to titles likeDeadlineis all beneficial.
What were seeing is the power of sport to cut through when you have moments of peak interest.
Moments like Messis debut are global ones with big narratives.
Its all a benefit to soccer, and nothing cuts through like live sports.
