#133 📢 OUT NOW: Saudi Arabia Sport Business and Tech Report 2025

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Our latest report drops today, on a much discussed Sports ecosystem: Saudi Arabia.

📢 OUT NOW: Saudi Arabia Sport Business and Tech Report 2025

SportsTech in Asia was supposed to our focus for just Q1 2025. This has turned into almost the entire H1 2025, such is the depth of activity happening across the region. Today we present our latest deep dive:

A comprehensive overview of the Saudi Arabian Sport Ecosystem in partnership with the Sports Investment Forum (SIF), with support from the Ministry of Investment.

📊 Key highlights:

• $8.4 B Total Saudi Sport Market Size in 2024, projected as $22.5 B by 2030

• $7 B In Investments by Saudi Arabian Entities (2020- Q1 2025)

• 30+ Major International Events Hosted (2020 - 2024)

• 15 New Smart Stadiums being built

• $7.4 M Invested in Saudi based Sports Tech Startups (2020-2024)

✅ Full Report Includes:

• Comprehensive Overview of the Saudi Sports Market, including size projections, economic impact, and Vision 2030 alignment

• Stakeholder Map of the Saudi Sports Ecosystem, covering major regulators, investors, and enablers shaping the industry

• Breakdown of $7B+ in Investments, Acquisitions & Sponsorships by Saudi entities across global sports properties

• Key Growth Drivers & Trends, including:

• a) Smart Stadium Infrastructure (15 new venues, cutting-edge tech use cases)

• b) Esports & Gaming (Savvy Games, NEOM, 39k jobs by 2030, $37.8B commitment),

• c) Fan Engagement Innovations (Web3, digital activations, AR/VR, social media impact)

• Spotlight on Saudi SportsTech Startups, including investment totals, top funded startups, and market growth projections

• Saudi Arabia’s Emergence as a Global Sports Hub, with a timeline of 30+ international events and strategic ambitions leading up to the 2034 FIFA World Cup

Saudi Arabia is reshaping the global sports map. If you’re looking to get a handle on what’s happening in this highly dynamic sports ecosystem, this report is exactly what you need.

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📥Have you downloaded the Global Sports Tech Ecosystem Report 2025 yet?

Top News from the World of Sports Tech & Biz

• ⚽ Nike introduced “Toma El Juego,” a youth-led street soccer platform designed to foster creativity and expression through community tournaments in Los Angeles.

• 🏀 The NBA announced plans for a Europe-based Basketball Champions League featuring 16 teams and marquee cross-continent matchups.

• 💪 Apple unveiled Workout Buddy, an AI-powered fitness coach that gives real-time guidance using your historical workout and health data.

• ⛳ NBC Sports debuted a wireless Bunker Cam at the U.S. Open, built into a 3D-printed sprinkler head.

• 📺 Pluto TV and AWSN launched a FAST channel delivering 2,500+ hours of live women’s sports content annually.

• ⛳ The PGA TOUR introduced drone-based AR smart tracing during its Canadian Open broadcast.

• 📺 BBC iPlayer began testing low-latency streaming in beta to improve broadcast quality for live sports.

• 🥋 The PFL launched a new DTC app for streaming live International League fights and exclusive content.

• ⛵ SailGP rolled out 3D AR tabletop racing to enhance global fan engagement during the New York Grand Prix.

• 🏟️ SL Benfica opened an immersive fan store featuring AI concierge, virtual locker rooms, and 3D merchandise.

• 📺 Warner Bros. Discovery hinted that TNT Sports may separate from HBO Max amid ongoing corporate restructuring.

• 🥊 Netflix announced it will stream Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford globally on September 13.

• ⚽ DAZN’s $1 billion Club World Cup content strategy was revealed as a driving force behind the tournament's global expansion and media viability.

• 🎾 Wimbledon organisers targeted India for fan base growth, driven by the country's rising digital sports consumption.

• 🏃 The Grand Slam Track tour was reported to be cancelling its season-ending Los Angeles event due to scheduling and operational challenges.

• 🏀 NBA fans criticized the digital court logos used in Game 2 of the Finals for being distracting as NBA team sponsorship revenue grew 8% to $1.6 billion, driven by jersey patch deals and media rights expansion.

• 🏁 NASCAR confirmed continued plans for its Brazil expansion with further updates expected soon.

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Money Talks:

• 💰 Social sports club concept Ballers raised $20 million to launch venues in Philadelphia, Boston, and Miami by 2026.

• 💰 Arketa, an AI-powered platform for boutique fitness studios, raised $15 million to expand its all-in-one operational toolkit.

• 💰 Somnee, a smart sleep headband, raised $10 million from Khosla Ventures, Marc Benioff’s TIME Ventures, LEAD VC, Orlando Magic ownership group (DeVos family), Seaside Ventures, Nelstone Ventures, and Metalab, and others.

• 💰 Machaxi, an Indian startup delivering AI-powered badminton coaching, raised $1.5 million in a round led by Rainmatter, with participation from Prakash Padukone and existing investors.

• 💰 ReSpo.Vision, a Polish startup specializing in computer vision for elite football analytics, raised $5 million to scale its tech across clubs and broadcasters.

• 💰 MetaShot, a Bengaluru-based console gaming brand under Gillidanda Tech, raised $234k (₹2 crore) in convertible debt from the Karnataka government’s KITVEN fund.

• 🤝 Hulu became fully owned by Disney after a $439 million buyout of NBCUniversal’s remaining stake.

• 🤝 Footballco acquired animation studio 442oons to expand its football-themed entertainment content, for an undisclosed amount.

• 🤝 Teamworks acquired Telemetry Sports, a video-first analytics platform used for player evaluation and coaching, for an undisclosed amount.

• 💸 Elevate and Velocity Capital launched a $500 million investment fund targeting commercial and infrastructure projects across U.S. college sports.

• 💸 Warner Bros. Discovery restructured $14.6 billion in debt as part of a strategic overhaul of its capital structure.

• 💸 Inspired Entertainment secured $217 million in senior notes financing to strengthen its capital position.

• 💸 The Beachbody Company received $35 million in debt funding from Tiger Finance to support operations and growth initiatives.

• 💸 RCB’s owners responded to media reports about a potential franchise sale, calling them speculative.

• 💸 MLC franchise San Francisco Unicorns unveiled a lineup of celebrity investors including cricket and entertainment figures ahead of the 2025 season.

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