Intense discussions surrounding Saudi Arabia’s involvement in global sports have lessened recently, but ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap believes there’s still a significant story to explore. With the country poised to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, its influence on various athletes and markets remains impactful.
During a recent episode of the Awful Announcing Podcast with host Brandon Contes, Schaap highlighted Saudi Arabia as a top sports story that warrants more coverage, noting that the narrative extends far beyond the ongoing LIV Golf developments. “If you’re asking me right off the bat, something big right now that I’m hoping we do a full treatment on, I think it’s the role of Saudi Arabia right now in the world of sports,” he stated. “Everything that’s been going on, LIV and beyond. Obviously, certainly there’s the topic of sportswashing, which we talked about, but it goes beyond that as well.”
Saudi Arabia has made substantial impacts across multiple sports. Beyond the golf saga (which may see some resolution soon), the nation has reshaped the boxing, wrestling, MMA, and tennis landscapes, securing lucrative deals for soccer players, attempting to expand their NFL presence, and officially completing a significant $1 billion minority stake in global streamer DAZN. In a recent highlight by Sportico’s Eben Novy-Williams, six of the publication’s top 10 highest-paid athletes, including No. 1 Cristiano Ronaldo, who actively participates in the Saudi soccer league and utilizes his vast social following to promote Saudi-sponsored events, are primarily funded by Middle Eastern wealth, predominantly from Saudi Arabia:
Something that stood out from @Sportico‘s highest-paid athletes list: how Middle Eastern money is reshaping the very top of the list now.
Here’s the Top 10, with 🔴 next to the folks paid primarily via Middle Eastern sovereign wealth (and in that, primarily via 🇸🇦). pic.twitter.com/6IhNTdJYJp
— Eben Novy-Williams (@novy_williams) February 17, 2025
Schaap emphasized that the Saudi influence in sports is significant, yet many U.S. sports fans remain unaware. He remarked, “When so much of the power in the world of sports right now resides in Saudi Arabia, and the impact that has on the rest of the world, leagues around the world, where there’s so much money, that’s, I think, a fascinating topic that I’m guessing your average American sports fan hasn’t spent a great deal of time thinking about beyond the LIV controversy, which really kind of peaked, what was that, two years ago, three years ago? I think that’s a fascinating story.” He noted the advantage of this narrative, as it encompasses both on- and off-field dimensions.
“There’s the business of sports; there’s actually what’s going on on the field in sports, but that one, I think, is kind of a global story. We’re always looking, you know, over at E:60 especially, for these kinds of big stories, which we can spend a lot of time working on, and we get a lot of time on the air to discuss.” Schaap and E:60 have a history of tackling substantial narratives; his experience exploring Middle Eastern nations with controversial sports impacts includes his 2014 and 2022 features on Qatar. While some journalists or outlets may shy away from such topics (as exemplified by Fox Sports executive producer David Neal’s assertion before the 2022 FIFA World Cup that viewers seek sports rather than social commentary), Schaap and ESPN have proven their commitment to exploring these important stories.
You can listen to the full episode of the Awful Announcing Podcast featuring Jeremy Schaap now. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. For more content, subscribe to AA’s YouTube page.
