Riyadh — In a bold move underscoring the Kingdom’s growing influence in international sport, Saudi-backed streaming platform DAZN is preparing to bid for global broadcast rights to the UEFA Champions League for the 2027-31 cycle. This comes after Saudi investment firm SURJ Sports Investment acquired a 10 % stake in DAZN earlier this year.
The tender by UEFA for a single global streaming contract for each round — valued at around £440 million annually — has attracted attention from major platforms. DAZN sees this as a key part of its ambition to become the “Spotify of sport”, and Saudi backing certainly boosts its global credentials.
By targeting one of football’s most coveted properties, Saudi-linked investment is signalling a shift: from hosting marquee events to owning the media rights that distribute them globally.
Strategic significance
- The move aligns with Saudi Arabia’s broader sport-and-media strategy under its Vision 2030 agenda, which emphasises diversification and global visibility.
- For DAZN and Saudi investors it’s not simply about distribution rights — it’s about building a global sports-media infrastructure where the Kingdom plays a central role.
- On the football side, this could mean Saudi Arabia becomes less of just a host of events and more of a broadcasting hub, further integrating into global sports business chains.
What to watch
- The outcome of UEFA’s bidding process and whether DAZN succeeds.
- What terms are required in a global streaming contract (rights scope, exclusivity, regional splits).
- How this affects domestic Saudi sports: will more resources be channelled into broadcast, media training and infrastructure?
- Whether this signals a broader trend: that Saudi-backed entities will increasingly target the media side of sport, not just the stadium side.