UK & US fans won't be able to watch Ronaldo play in Saudi Arabia
Published
| Last updated
Cristiano Ronaldo may have confirmed his move to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, but fans in the UK and the US won't be able to watch him play due to TV rights.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has finally settled on a new club following his departure from Manchester United earlier this season.
His move to the Middle East is certainly the most high-profile move to occur in that part of the world so far, and he will be handsomely rewarded across his two-year deal, as the club are making him one of the highest paid athletes in the world.
Despite all the excitement, fans won't be able to watch the former Real Madrid forward in action because, as it stands, the league Al-Nassr operate in does not have any TV rights attached to it.
Whilst fans around the world will be excited to see what Ronaldo can do at his new club, it may be quite a difficult task to do so.
As it stands, the Saudi Pro League does not have a streaming deal with any network in the United States.
Also, Saudi Arabia's two cup competitions - the King Cup and the Saudi Super Cup - do not have broadcast deals.
Most of the rights in the Asian Football Confederation have been mostly split between YouTube, OneFootball, and ElevenSports.
The two tournaments that have been picked up by major TV company CBS Sports - the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup - will not feature Ronaldo's new side Al-Nassr, due to the fact that they didn't qualify last season.
Things are bleaker in the UK, given that only OneFootball has the rights, and only highlights can be shown on EuroSport, with live matches are currently not offered.
Loading…
The club announced the signing on social media as 'history in the making' and the Portuguese international now has a new league and country to conquer.
Ronaldo, 37, has already won league titles in Italy, England and Spain and now can add a fourth to his collection.
With Al-Nassr currently second in the league with 23 points to their name, they sit just behind leaders Al-Shabab.
Ronaldo could make his debut in the new year on January 14th, as his side take on the league leaders in a crucial game.
Or he could feature later in the month in the semi-final of the cup - either way, he could be stepping into a big game and we're sure Ronaldo wouldn't have it any other way.
Featured Image Credit: Alamy
Topics: Football, Cristiano Ronaldo, Saudi Arabia
