Strong interest among younger fans and innovative, new investment vehicles are spurring unprecedented growth in sports in the Middle East, according to new analysis from Altman Solon’s Global Sports Survey.
Interest in sports has jumped among 16-24-year-olds, from 27% in 2021 to 36% in 2024, and now Generation Z Middle Eastern sports fans have higher interest than their peers in the U.S. and Europe.
David Dellea, partner at Altman Solon, said: “Younger fan interest is changing across the world with Gen Zers less inclined to watching live sports relative to their older generations. Younger Middle Eastern sports fans are one of the few global demographics bucking that trend, which is great news for investors in local sports leagues as well as top international sports properties. This new generation of Middle Eastern sports fans is highly passionate, representing a unique opportunity for sustainable value creation in the region.”
Dellea also noted that recent domestic investment has already bolstered engagement in local sports, particularly in Saudi Arabia. New, innovative investment vehicles with increasingly diverse stakeholders — including royal affiliations, sovereign funds, and state corporations — have invested in international clubs and leagues, as well as hosting major events and developing domestic sports ecosystems.
Middle Eastern sports fans show the most interest in European sports leagues but those who follow Middle Eastern domestic leagues are more likely to watch live televised games than those who follow European leagues. Fans of local sports leagues also have similar interest levels in U.S. leagues but watch local games at much higher rates than U.S. ones. The most popular football clubs for Middle Eastern fans are Liverpool and Real Madrid.
Altman Solon’s Global Sports Survey polled 220 senior sports executives globally, including rights owners, media distributors, and investors, and ~3,000 consumers interested in sports in five countries: USA, UK, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and China. The Middle Eastern sports report includes supplemental survey data from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Morocco.
The full report on Middle Eastern Sports Growth can be found here.
You are not signed in
Only registered users can comment on this article.
Salon enables productions to book Europe’s heritage sites
Salon is opening its booking platform for cultural and heritage venues to the media production sector.
.jpg)
footagen.ai unveils an AI-native film workflow
Finnish film and creative production company Frame Rate Oy has unveiled footagen.ai, an AI-native film workflow designed to take productions from screenplay to controlled, edit-ready shots and clips without handing creative decisions to an AI system.
Broadband subscription growth rebounds to hit 1.6 billion
Global fixed broadband subscribers reached 1.591 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up 1.06% on the previous quarter and 4.15% year-on-year, according to research by analysts Point Topic.
Western Europe streaming revenue to hit $75bn by 2031
Western Europe's total streaming revenue is set to rise from $53.3bn in 2026 to $74.9bn by 2031, up 41%, according to 3Vision's Video Markets Tracker forecasts.
Spotify to add AI Persona badges on AI-generated artist profiles
Spotify is to start adding ‘AI Persona’ badges on some artist profiles from September 2026 to give listeners more transparency about whether the artist behind the music was a real person.
