MENA
New market and record prize money lures Next Gen ATP Finals to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has made its first significant move into tennis, today (Thursday), winning the bid to host the Next Gen ATP Finals, the end-of-season tournament for the best eight men's singles players aged…
QSI takes ownership of padel with WPT acquisition
Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), the Qatari government-backed investment fund, has completed its takeover of the sport of padel, with its Premier Padel series to merge with the rival World Padel Tour
BeIN strikes late US Open rights deal in Mena
Pay-television broadcaster beIN Sports has renewed its rights across the Middle East and North Africa to the US Open tennis grand slam for a further five years as part of a deal announced shortly before…
Starzplay follows beIN as RWC rights-holder in Mena
The forthcoming Rugby World Cup in France is to be streamed exclusively in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) by Starzplay, the subscription video-on-demand OTT service in the region
Qatar’s Al Thani elected Fiba president ahead of first World Cup in Middle East
Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani, of Qatar, has been elected president of the International Basketball Federation (Fiba), four months after the Gulf state was named host of the sport's showpiece tournament, the…
Global LaLiga deal and OFC pact: another day in Saudi Arabia’s project football
Saudi Arabia has extended its reach further into world football, with a major global sponsorship deal with Spain's LaLiga and a development partnership with the Oceania Football Confederation the latest projects announced today (Thursday).
PIF steps up sports drive with SRJ Sports Investments launch
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has established a new sports investment company as part of plans to further grow its presence within global sport.
ISG hires eVulpa to sell LaLiga virtual advertising in Mena
ISG, the specialist virtual advertising agency owned by TGI Sport, has tasked eVulpa, a Dubai-based sports marketing agency, with selling to brands in the Middle East and North Africa during LaLiga telecasts…
DAZN acquires DTM, GT Masters rights in eight markets
Multi-platform subscription broadcaster DAZN has acquired rights to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, GT Masters and GT4 Germany touring cars series in eight markets
Saudi Arabia planning ‘multibillion-dollar’ sports investment group
Saudi Arabia is planning to launch a new investment company as an extension of its Public Investment Fund as the country seeks to further expand its presence within global sport
Star bags Lanka Premier League rights
Media group Disney Star has secured exclusive rights in the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East and North Africa to the Lanka Premier League T20 tournament
Nike strengthens Ronaldo links with Al-Nassr kit supply deal
Saudi Arabian football club Al-Nassr has signed up Nike as its new kit supplier
Spring Media seeking out broadcasters for Riyadh’s World Combat Games
The Spring Media agency has been appointed to distribute global broadcast rights to the 2023 World Combat Games, which are scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from October 21 to 30
Dubai joins hosting plan for World Rugby’s WXV
World Rugby has announced that Dubai will be the destination for one of the three legs of its new women’s competition concept, WXV.
Mumtalakat takes on PIF’s McLaren stake
Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat), the sovereign wealth fund of Bahrain, has strengthened its interest in British automotive, motorsport and technology company McLaren Group by acquiring…
BeIN set to lose second UAE carriage deal as Du drops channels
Pay-television broadcaster beIN Sports is poised to lose more carriage in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after telecoms operator Du informed its customers that the channels would be dropped from its television…
BeIN seals short-term deal for Uefa national team rights in Mena
Pay-television broadcaster beIN Sports has struck a short-term deal for rights in the Middle East and North Africa to this month’s Uefa Nations League finals and Euro 2024 qualifiers.
PIF-backed Gulf International Bank named Al-Nassr sponsor
Gulf International Bank (GIB), the banking group in which Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund holds a 97.2-per-cent shareholding, has been named a silver sponsor of Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.