Surj Sports chief: Saudi parent PIF, investing and league focus July 1, 2025 Chief executive of Dazn investors Surj Sports Investments Danny Townsend discusses the state of the changing landscape. When Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund purchased Premier League club Newcastle United in 2021, Middle Eastern sports spending was thrust into the voyeuristic forefront of executive and fan consciousness. Since then Saudi Arabia has invested in a multitude [...]
Aston Martin: PIF and Geely billionaire’s shares shift after investment May 12, 2025 The proportion of shares Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Chinese billionaire Shufu Li’s hold in luxury car brand Aston Martin has changed following a major shares issue. In March Yew Tree Consortium, which is led by chairman Lawrence Stroll, placed 75 million additional shares in the London-listed business. As a result, both the value of the [...]
Saudi Arabia’s PIF sponsors new $13m prize golf series May 8, 2025 The Saudi Arabia investment vehicle the Public Investment Fund (PIF) is to be the title sponsor of a revamped golf programme. The PIF Global Series will replace the Aramco Team Series and will have a total prize pot of $13m. The PIF Global Series will span five events on the Ladies European Tour (LET) – [...]
Newcastle United boost turnover by 30 per cent – but still make a loss March 4, 2025 Newcastle United’s return to the Champions League boosted turnover by almost 30 per cent last season, easing concerns over long-term compliance with the Premier League’s financial rules. The Magpies reported a loss of £11.1m but that still represented a £60m improvement on the previous year, thanks to revenue growing from £250.3m to £320.3m. Participation in [...]
LIV: Trump, Yasir Al-Rumayyan and Tiger Woods meet in White House February 21, 2025 President Trump, Public Investment Fund governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan met at the White House on Thursday with a new deal with LIV Golf edging closer. The PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf have been in discussions surrounding a potential mega-merger which would unite golf as one global sports [...]
Saudi Arabia’s Surj Sports Investment confirms stake in Dazn February 17, 2025 Saudi Arabia’s Surj Sports Investment has confirmed that it has taken a minority stake in streaming platform Dazn and entered into a joint venture aimed at showing more events taking place in the kingdom. The announcement confirms long-running rumours of Saudi investment in Dazn and despite the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), of which Surj [...]
Saudi Public Investment Fund nearing $1bn stake in Dazn January 14, 2025 Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is nearing a $1bn acquisition of a small minority stake in sport streaming platform Dazn. The London-based rights holder, which enjoys relationships with boxing’s Riyadh Season and a number of the top European football leagues, could potentially see its value pushed into the tens of billions after the injection. It [...]
British golfer to ditch PGA Tour to join Legion XIII on LIV Golf January 7, 2025 Northern Irishman Tom McKibbin is set to snub his newly-earned place on the PGA Tour to sign a shock deal with Jon Rahm’s LIV Golf team. McKibbin won a PGA Tour card in November via the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai but the 22-year-old Brit will instead take the final spot in Legion XIII. [...]
Ahead of the Game: Man United cuts could be copied by other clubs December 30, 2024 Manchester United’s controversial move to slash the funding it provides to its charitable foundation as part of cost-cutting measures introduced by Sir Jim Ratcliffe could be followed by other Premier League clubs. The Manchester United Foundation are set to be the latest victims of Ratcliffe’s drive to cut costs at Old Trafford, with Sky News [...]
Selfridges: Saudi Arabia’s PIF invests in department store group October 8, 2024 Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is now a joint owner of the business behind upmarket department store chain, Selfridges, it has been confirmed. Thai investor Central Group has announced a deal which will see it own 60 per cent of the group’s operating and property companies, with the PIF owning the rest. Central Group [...]