 |
|
April 2, 2025
When Ronaldo was announced as Al Nassr's new signing, the betting industry knew a big change was coming their way. In a certain way, the Saudi Pro League started being treated in a different way by many betting companies as all eyes were on the Portuguese superstar...
When Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr, the Saudi Pro League received an influx of international attention. Ticked sales surged, and global coverage also increased. With more interest surrounding the Saudi Pro League, the betting activity on its matches might have increased too, and we've researched the numbers to see whether this could be the case.
Cristiano Ronaldo - Al Nassr
Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr in January 2023, and the transfer broke the football world. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner's arrival wasn't just a sporting decision since the move was also a strategic play to grow Saudi Arabia's sports industry and advertise it to the world. This also prompted sportsbooks and football betting apps to take a greater interest in Saudi Pro League matches.
A study by Dominik Schreyer and Carl Singleton, published by the University of Reading, analyzed the effect of Ronaldo's signing on SPL attendance. Their findings show that Ronaldo's presence helped fill an additional 20 percent of stadium seats on average. Home matches, on the other hand, experienced an increase of up to 68 percent while the media coverage also skyrocketed in the process.
Even the BBC researched what has happened to the Saudi Pro League’s big spending since large transfers impacted how media outlets and betting apps in the UK approached the league.
Ronaldo's transfer to the SPL practically created a ripple effect that sports fans previously experienced. David Beckham's move to MLS and Lionel Messi's impact on Inter Miami also had similar results. Superstar players elevate their teams, but they also elevate sports leagues. In rare cases, they might even elevate sports, like how golf betting apps started getting more attention from football fans after Gareth Bale highlighted his interest in the sport.
While there's no official data yet confirming a direct surge in betting activity, the combination of increased SPL exposure, higher attendance, and broader sportsbook coverage suggests that Ronaldo's move could have played a role in boosting the league's betting market share. Ronaldo's transfer only marked a beginning for the SPL, too, since many high-profile players like Neymar and Benzema also followed CR7's lead.
The study mentioned in this article goes explicitly over statistical changes that took place after Ronaldo landed in Saudi Arabia. Though CR7 has one of the biggest global influences in the world compared to other footballers, his peers undoubtedly contributed to the league's growth as well. At this point, it's more of a joint effort since SPL continues to welcome more stars.
Despite Al-Nassr leading the charge on this front, there were also other teams that built competitive squads, such as Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal. This joint growth allowed SPL to be more challenging and fun to watch while also affecting the betting odds and markets on various platforms that feature the league. Many football fans had doubts about whether such moves would allow the SPL to grow, but the costly strategy seems to be working fine for the time being.
Considering there have also been failed examples of this approach, like in China, SPL's steps further will continue to be an example for nations looking to grow their domestic sports leagues with the influence of prime athletes.
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Portugal is on April 4, against Al Hilal for the Saudi Pro League. You can watch Al Hilal vs Al Nassr, Liverpool vs Everton, Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona, Manchester City vs Leicester City, Chelsea vs Tottenham and AC Milan vs Inter, all matches provided from our live soccer game pages.
Al Nassr next game:
Al Nassr vs Al Hilal kick-off time (04-04-2025):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+7: 02:00
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+4.30: 23:30
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) | UTC/GMT+2: 21:00
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+1: 20:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+0: 19:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 16:00
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 15:00
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 12:00
Sources: ronaldo7.net / reading.ac.uk / bbc.com
