“It’s publicized the growth of the Al Nassr fanbase after Ronaldo joined, they went from under a million fans to like eight million in a space of like 10 days…There are monetary opportunities for them. For sponsorship, suddenly showing the global brands that you can reach eight million fans, there’s some monetization that they could benefit from straight away on it. He’s got a heavy following around celebrities, TV, entertainment and pop music, so, there are content opportunities for Saudi Arabia to almost be a hub for TV and entertainment. Also to promote the country as a destination.”

-Neil Joyce, football finance expert, who is CEO & co-founder of CLV Group and advises clubs on how best to maximise their revenues through engagement with their global fanbases. [Reuters]