Saudi Pro League: Attendances rising but provincial clubs struggle to attract new fans

The Saudi Pro League announced on Tuesday that overall attendance at games has risen by five per cent compared to the same point last season.

The biggest success story is Al Hilal, who top the charts, tripling their average attendance from 2022/23. The club’s first 10 home games have attracted a whopping 268,419 fans, an average of 26,842 per match, up from an average of 8,490 across the first half last season.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr are second with an average attendance of 20,297, roughly the same as last season, followed by Jeddah rivals Al Ittihad and Al Ahli at 19,870 and 17,544, respectively.

Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq have experienced a 45 per cent growth in attendances following a summer transfer window where they recruited the likes of Jordan Henderson, who has now left the club, Gini Wijnaldum and Moussa Dembele, among others. The Dammam-based club also inaugurated their new stadium earlier this season, moving from the municipal Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium.

At the other end of the spectrum, newly-promoted Al Riyadh stand out as the team with the lowest attendances, brining in just 1,394 fans per game on average.

The fourth team in the capital had not played top-division football since 2005, but have still recorded some of the lowest individual match attendances, with their game against Al Okhdood being watched by only 133 fans, while their game against Al Khaleej brought in just 144.

Despite struggles at the lower end, the league continues to attract large crowds for its marquee fixtures, including city derbies in Riyadh and Jeddah as well as clashes between the four Public Investment Fund owned clubs.

A video published by the SPL showcasing the top 10 most watched matches of the 2023/24 season so