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Saudi Arabia’s NEOM Renews Asian Football Confederation Deal
Saudi Arabia’s megacity project NEOM has renewed its deal with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) governing body until 2029.
Following an initial four-year deal in March 2021, the two parties have renewed another multi-year tie-up. The fresh extension is poised to see NEOM continue as an official global partner of the AFC’s club and national team competitions.
Under the renewal brokered by Asia Football Group (AFC’s rights-holding division), the Saudi megacity project will also become a presenting partner for the newly launched Elite Final Stage of the AFC Champions League in 2024-25, as well as for the inaugural AFC Women’s Champions League season, with the 12-team competition set to begin in late August.
The renewal coincides with Saudi Arabia winning the rights to host the AFC Asian Cup Under-23 Cup in 2026 and the AFC Asian Cup in 2027.
According to ASN data, NEOM (6.7%, US$7m+) is the 3rd largest investor for its category in the Asian sponsorship market since Q421, with an average quarterly investment of almost US$654k during this period. The key deals are in Asian football, particularly pivotal collaborations with AFC on the Asian Cup, AFC National Team Competition (US$2.1m+) and AFC Champions League (US$1m+).
