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The Saudi Pro League is giving Cristiano Ronaldo another way to top up his £170m salary by incentivising players to promote livestreams of matches via social media.
The SPL’s “Share and Earn” initiative will allow players and influencers to share links to broadcasts of the league, whose stars also include Sadio Mane, Gabriel Martinelli and Ivan Toney.
Those who promote the streams will receive a share of revenue from each click, meaning a potentially lucrative side-hustle for Ronaldo, who has over 1bn followers across social media, and others.
“The way people discover, consume and engage with sport is changing rapidly,” said Saudi Pro League CEO Omar Mugharbel.
“Fans are increasingly connected to competitions, clubs and players through digital platforms and the creators and communities they trust.
“For generations, sports distribution has largely been a relationship between rights holders and broadcasters.
“Developments in technology and the growth of the creator economy give us an opportunity to add another dimension to that relationship – one in which a broader network of partners can help connect our football with fans and participate in that growth.”
Ronaldo already has a secondary financial interest in the league, having acquired a minority shareholding in Al Nassr as part of his contract renewal with the club last year.
Saudi Pro League follows Bundesliga approach
The SPL’s move to encourage players and content creators to share broadcasts is one aspect of its bid to grow the international audience of the competition
It follows a similar approach to the Bundesliga, which is showing select games as watchalongs on podcasts helmed by Jamie Vardy and Manchester United content creator Mark Goldbridge.
“By democratising both access and distribution, we can bring live RSL football closer to international fans while giving approved content creators, our clubs and players, and other distribution partners a genuine stake in helping us reach new audiences,” added Mugharbel.
“For the SPL, this is an opportunity to innovate, learn and build new relationships with the people and platforms shaping how sport is discovered and consumed around the world.
“As we continue to grow internationally, we want to explore new models that bring fans and the league closer together while creating shared value as our international audience expands.”
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