Turning On the Football Fever: The Saudi Pro League Witnessed an Upsurge in Viewers in the Just-Concluded Season in a Positive Sign for the SPL Project

The 2023-2024 Saudi Pro League season broke several milestones as it crashed the party of the top leagues in the world. The league’s attendance surged to clock at 2,496,661 spectators in all matches, representing an 11% surge compared to the 2022-2023 season.

Al Ahli ranked as the most-watched team in the season, with 414,282 spectators watching the side play at their home grounds, Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Jeddah. These fans represented 16.6% of the total attendance in the Saudi Pro League throughout the 2023-2024 season.

The champions, Al Hilal, came in a close second in the number of spectators, clocking 371,012 fans. Al Ittihad followed in third with 305,495 spectators.

Six of the top ten most-attended matches of the 2023-2024 Saudi Pro League season involved Al Ahli.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr came in fourth with an attendance of 303,000 spectators, with Al Ettifaq getting 140,000 attending fans.

These numbers represent an improvement in attendance and interest in the Saudi Pro League. They highlight the league’s improvement in its football product offering and increased appreciation of the superstars plying their trade in Saudi Arabia.

However, the challenge of going forward will be the massive chasm between the top teams like Al Ahli, Al Hilal, Al Ittihad, and Al Nassr, on the one hand, and the smaller sides in the Saudi Pro League.

Huge disparities will adversely affect the Saudi Pro League’s competitiveness and hurt the product. However, early signs show an upward trajectory in the SPL’s quality and competitiveness, highlighted by the growing interest in and consumption of the matches. It offers a platform to build on for the 2024-2025 season.