The Saudi Pro League says its recent trebling in official partners puts it in the top three in the world for sponsorship revenue, with a staggering 2,000-plus per cent growth in the past six months.
The kingdom’s top tier has enjoyed unprecedented exposure in the past year, the result of recruiting some of football’s most prominent names to the competition.
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo laid the foundations by signing for Al Nassr last December in reportedly one of the most lucrative player deals in the game’s history.
In the summer, the SPL embarked on an ambitious and aggressive player-recruitment programme that included then-Ballon d’Or holder Karim Benzema, Brazil superstar Neymar, and the likes of N’Golo Kante, Sadio Mane and Riyad Mahrez also.