Ryan Vevon Rapaport’s Post

The growth strategy of sports in Saudi Arabia

The world’s 10 highest-paid athletes earned a record-breaking $1.38 billion between May 2023 and May 2024, as the influx of #Saudimoney has propelled #athlete earnings to new heights this year. According to #Forbes’ annual ranking, each of the 10 #highestpaidathletes earned more than $100 million for the first time in the ranking’s history, while four of the top eight, including the number one and two, got their largest paycheck from an entity backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (#PIF). #CristianoRonaldo was once again the world’s highest-paid athlete over the last 12 months, making an estimated total of $260 million on and off the pitch. That’s largely thanks to his annual #salary of $200 million at #AlNassr, which has made him the global figurehead of the PIF-backed #SaudiProLeague. #Spanish #golfer #JonRahm came in second this year after yielding to the lure of PIF-backed LIV Golf in December 2023. Having been a vocal critic of LIV before, Rahm ultimately signed a $350 million multi-year deal with the #Saudigolftour, half of which he received upfront, according to #Forbes’ estimates. Aside from the growing influence of Saudi Arabia on #professionalsports, this year’s ranking once again highlights the global appeal of #football/ #soccer, as perhaps no other sport produces global #superstars at the rate that football does. With Cristiano Ronaldo, #LionelMessi, #KylianMbappé, #Neymar and #KarimBenzema, five of last year’s highest-paid athletes were football players, with three of the five playing in the Saudi Pro League. Interestingly, Kylian Mbappé is the only one of the bunch that is still playing at the highest level of the game, while the remaining four are approaching the end of their illustrious careers, taking one last big #paycheck to advocate the game away from #Europe's top five leagues. https://lnkd.in/gPrH8Umn

🚀 New Article Alert: Football Culture in Saudi Arabia 🚀 Discover the rich football culture in Saudi Arabia! From the passionate local leagues to the national team's international aspirations, football is more than just a game in the Kingdom. Learn about the sport's history, societal impact, and future ambitions, including the bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034. 👉 Dive into the full article for in-depth insights and join the conversation about the beautiful game in Saudi Arabia. 🔗 Read the Full Article: https://lnkd.in/dJvb7ZEK 💬 Share your thoughts and let's discuss how football is shaping the future of sports in Saudi Arabia! For more insights on sports in Saudi Arabia, check out our blog and other resources on https://lnkd.in/diY7khQF.

Arshad Nadeem's Record-Breaking Throw: A Wake-Up Call for Pakistan’s Sports Future Arshad Nadeem just did the unthinkable—smashing a 118-year-old Olympic record with a 92.97-meter javelin throw at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This isn't just a victory; it’s a wake-up call for Pakistan. Arshad’s achievement, made without world-class facilities or systemic support, reveals a painful truth: Pakistan is overflowing with raw talent, but we’re failing to nurture it. Imagine what could be achieved if athletes like Arshad had even a fraction of the resources available to their international peers. It's time for change. We must build sports academies, secure consistent funding, and provide our athletes with the world-class facilities and support they deserve. Without these, we are holding back an entire generation of champions. Arshad’s success isn’t just his—it’s a call to action. We owe it to every aspiring athlete in Pakistan to create an environment where talent can flourish. The future of our nation’s sports depends on the decisions we make today. Let’s make them count. (QAP)

⚽🥅 Everybody knows Ronaldo moved to Al Nassr last year. But how much do you know about how much Saudi has been impacted by the most famous sportsperson in the world ⚽🥅 It is impressive to observe that Ronaldo has helped to fill in 20% of additional seats at Al Nassr’s home stadium when he plays and 15% of all the stadiums he visits (Research Gate). With the strong CR7 brand, Al Nassr has seen its Instagram following grow from 800K to 25 million over the course of a year! While, this is incredible, Saudi’s purpose for Ronaldo is much greater. With the worldwide reputation he holds, KSA has positioned him as a validator for the progress the kingdom has made with regards to sports. They have invested heavily in football, boxing, golf, F1 and e-sports, and with Ronaldo’s move to the Kingdom, it has attracted a large following towards Saudi Sports 🏆. This is further exacerbated with Ronaldo showcasing the country’s historic landmarks, opening a signature ‘CR7 Museum’ 🏛, wearing traditional Saudi dress to commemorate national holidays and large events, alongside the minister of entertainment. These activities are slowly reshaping the public image of Saudi Arabia, leading to increased tourism in the country. With Ronaldo being presented as the spokesperson of Saudi football, it is interesting to know that this is all a means to the end of Saudi securing the right to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Saudi sees this as a way to grow their economy and reputation by inviting the world to experience the rich culture and become part of its history. Looking at it from an outside view, it is incredible to see how one man is placed at the forefront of it all and is part of a large decade long plan to improve Saudi Arabia’s standing as a country and an innovator. What are your thoughts on Advocacy using a celebrated public figure? Do you think Cristiano has a done a good job or are you still not convinced by the PR for rapid expansion of KSA as a global sports hub ⚽ Kaizzen Kaizzen MENA نادي النصر السعودي - AlNassr Saudi Club #pr #marketing #sportsmarketing #footballnews #sportsanalysis

Deakin University announced a 3-year renewal of their partnership with Netball Victoria and the Melbourne Vixens SIXT announced a new 2-year partnership with Netball South Australia / Adelaide Thunderbirds, and became the official automotive partner of SA’s regional “Netball on the Road” program Hawthorn Football Club announced a new 4-year deal with ISC SPORT, whose logo will continue to feature across Hawthorn’s official on-field and training apparel The Ultimate Fighting Championship and PCYC NSW announced a new 3-year partnership focused on youth mentoring, MMA training sessions and fundraising Crown Resorts Perth became RAC Arena’s “first Integrated Hotel and Resort partner” as part of a deal that will run until 2027 Netball Australia announced an operating surplus of $235,657 in 2023, with revenue increasing 15% to $44.67m Suncorp Super Netball has had its biggest start to the season yet, breaking viewership & attendance records - 80,710 fans attended matches across the first 4 rounds, and significant audience increases were recorded on Kayo Sports, Foxtel Go and Foxtel National Rugby League clubs could potentially receive an additional $2m per year as part of a 10-year, $600m plan between the league and federal government to expand the competition into Papua New Guinea ENGIE Stadium (home of GWS GIANTS) underwent a significant $4m LED lighting upgrade Pat Cummins became an investor in SureVision, a company that operates DOOH screens in shopping centres, airports, office buildings, schools and at sports stadiums & events International Cricket Council Men's T20 World Cup ambassador Usain Bolt unveiled New York’s newly-built 34,000-capacity cricket stadium ahead of the tournament in June Brazil was named the host of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup The National Football League (NFL) confirmed it’s considering holding a regular season game in Australia within the next 3 years The International Olympic Committee – IOC is producing 3 x new sports documentary series for the Olympic Games in partnership with Netflix Venu Sports was announced as being the new name for the Disney, Fox and Warner Bros Discovery’s sports streaming JV which launches later this year Lionel Messi’s famous napkin that linked him to FC Barcelona via a written in-principle agreement (when he was 13yo) sold for US$965,000 Want these updates delivered directly to your inbox? https://lnkd.in/gbmXPfrs #sportsmarketing

Malaysia Paralympic Council (MPC) president, Datuk Seri Megat D. Shahriman Zaharudin has called on local corporate sponsors to support national sports associations (NSAs) based on their performances and not solely on their fanbases. Speaking to Scoop, Megat said that corporations should practice meritocracy, KPIs and think twice before funding NSAs that fail to bring any results with their funds. “It’s time for all local corporations to stop funding NSAs that don’t produce any results to shift their focus on associations that bring pride for the nation. “In terms of results and bringing pride for the nation, MPC has always been consistent as we always deliver medals and our athletes always qualify to participate in the Paralympics, unlike certain NSAs like the Malaysia Hockey Confederation (MHC) who have once again failed to qualify for the Olympics. #corporatecommunications #corporatesponsorship #corporatemarketing #business Read more 👇

📌 Olympic Marketing in three numbers: ✅ USD 7.6 billion in revenue generated in the Olympiad 2017-2020/21 ✅ 90% of the revenue is distributed to the wider Olympic Movement to the benefit of athletes. ✅ This means USD 4.2 million is distributed every day. 👉 Read this and much more in the IOC Marketing Media Guide Paris 2024: https://lnkd.in/em_icXGT

I have obtained the Fitness and its Relation to Sports Performance course from the leaders Development Institute collaboration with the Saudi Ministry of Sports.