Al-Faisal to club leaders: TV carrier’s announcement for the Saudi League within two weeks

Informed sources revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Saudi Minister of Sports, informed club officials that the TV broadcast had been agreed with the new TV network and that all the details would be announced within the next two weeks.
According to sources close to the “Middle East”, the television group “MBC” has reached a definitive agreement with the Saudi Sports Company, emanating from the Ministry of Sports, to broadcast the Saudi championships, including the Saudi Professional League, King’s Cup and all local competitions, starting with the football season, then the “Shahid” platform will be the broadcaster.
In recent weeks, the Saudi Sports Minister has held successive meetings with officials of the TV group, noting that a knowledgeable source told Asharq Al-Awsat yesterday that the TV transmission was decided in favor of MBC. a few days ago.
A number of Saudi club leaders who participate in the Saudi Professional League asked Al-Faisal that the ministry paid the clubs’ debts, but Al-Faisal assured them – according to club leaders who attended. the meeting – that this is impossible, and that the clubs must undertake to pay the debts on their part without the Ministry of Sports intervening in the matter. That is to say, and that he must comply with the application of governance and review and pay his debts without the department having anything to do with it.
Al-Faisal assured the meeting that clubs wishing to use foreign refereeing teams would have to provide 175,000 rials, with no increase or decrease for each referee team, and within a specified timeframe if they so wished.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Minister of Sports and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, held a meeting yesterday (Wednesday), in the Great Hall of the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex in the capital, Riyadh, with the Heads of Professional Cup League clubs Prince Mohammed bin Salman, attended by Deputy Sports Minister Abdul Ilah Al-Dallak, Ministry officials, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Football Association Yasser Al-Mishal, and the chairman of the board of directors of the Saudi Professional League, engineer Abdulaziz Al-Afaleq.
At the start of the meeting, Al-Faisal welcomed the leaders of the clubs, thanking them for all the efforts made during the past period, and their great concern to develop the work within sports clubs, to accompany the development witnessed by the sports sector, in light of the unlimited support of the rational leadership, wishing them all success.
The meeting agenda was discussed, talking about the clubs’ preparations for the next sports season, addressing the club’s support strategy and financial effectiveness, and the development of the governance initiative, which included a number of updates that have been made, to make clubs more administratively and financially sustainable, in addition to highlighting the importance of property rights. The intellectual property of sports clubs, and to treat them in a broader and more global perspective, with the development of an intellectual property policy for each club, in addition to continued interest and development of various games, in order to achieve a distinctive sporting environment that contributes to the growth of the sport sector; In order to achieve the objectives of the “Vision of the Kingdom 2030”.
At the end of the meeting, the Minister of Sports heard a number of observations and questions from club managers, stressing their important role in activating investment components and working to strengthen them, increase income and financial income, for a future that contributes to the development and growth of clubs in the Kingdom.