Viaplay on the defensive after Saudi league rights deal in Norway

Beleaguered Scandinavian broadcaster Viaplay has acquired rights to the Saudi Pro League (SPL) in Norway.

The streaming service’s coverage of the soccer league began on Friday when it showed Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr beat Al Ettifaq 3-0.

Viaplay also provided live coverage of Al Hilal’s 3-1 win over Al-Ittihad on Saturday in the top-of-the-table clash.

The agreement, which will run through to the end of the season, was struck with sports marketing agency giant IMG, which is responsible for distributing the SPL’s media rights internationally for the 2024-25 season.

Kristian Oma, Viaplay’s head of sport in Norway, said the broadcaster is aware the agreement will cause controversy in the country due to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.

He stated: “We are not blind to any of the problematic aspects, but we expect that the World Cup in Saudi Arabia [in 2034] will be broadcast by Norwegian broadcasters, in the same way as, for example, we broadcast Formula 1 races from there.

“Even if we broadcast the league, this does not mean that we automatically agree with everything Saudi Arabia stands for politically or morally.”

The SPL is being aired in more than 165 countries on 43 global platforms this season, as it looks to grow its international broadcast presence.

Indeed, the league’s growth is part of the sports element of the Saudi government’s overall Vision 2030 strategy.

Earlier this month, the league unveiled a strategic content partnership with short-form video platform TikTok.

TikTok has become the 18-team league’s digital partner for the remainder of the 2024-25 season, which got underway last month. Sportcal