October 9 – The Saudi Pro League has spent three years buying attention. Its latest set of figures suggests at least some of it is sticking.

The league told its General Assembly this week that live viewership for the 2025-26 Roshn Saudi League reached 198 million, up 52% year-on-year, while revenue grew 11.5% after a 12.45% rise the season before.

Those are eye-catching percentage increases, although the SPL did not put an absolute figure on revenue, nor spell out whether the 198 million audience represents unique viewers or a cumulative total across the season.

That said, its social media followers rose 44% to 23 million, while the league said its overall market value had reached SAR4.6 billion ($1.23 billion) by the end of the campaign.

There was also a useful marker provided by the World Cup. Forty-eight players from the RSL featured at the 2026 tournament, making Saudi Arabia the sixth-most represented domestic league and the biggest contributor outside Europe’s traditional big five.

The first phase of the Saudi project saw Cristiano Ronaldo arrived and the chequebook opened for a stream of high-profile names to follow. The real riddle was whether the league could turn that spending spree into something with staying power.

The SPL now points to a 255% rise in non-live YouTube views last season, with 82% of that audience coming from outside Saudi Arabia.

There is more money moving through the broadcast side too. A six-year MENA rights deal covering the Pro League and other Saudi competitions was struck with Thmanyah, part of Saudi Research and Media Group, for SAR2.32 billion ($618.67 million).

The league has also started experimenting with distribution rather than relying only on conventional broadcasters, launching a direct-to-consumer model across 16 markets and making matches available to approved creators and third-party platforms.

SPL chairman Abdulaziz Al Afaleq said: “The results presented to the General Assembly demonstrate the significant progress being made by the Roshn Saudi League and the strength of collaboration between our clubs, the SPL and our partners.

“The achievements of recent seasons provide an important foundation for our next phase. Our ambition is to continue raising the level of competition, strengthening the league’s regional and global standing, and building a more sustainable and valuable ecosystem for clubs, fans and Saudi football.”

There has been some less glamorous progress too. Every RSL club secured both domestic and AFC licences for the first time last season, while Saudi Arabia is still top of the AFC’s men’s club competition ranking.

None of that settles the bigger debate around the league. Its rise has been underwritten by a level of state-backed investment that few rivals can hope to match, and percentage growth from a developing commercial base can flatter quickly.

The SPL is beginning to produce numbers beyond transfer fees and salary headlines – the next question is whether that interest can stick once the spending slows down and 41-year-old poster boy Cristiano Ronaldo retires.

Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]