Saudi Arabia is "close to acquiring up to a 10 percent stake" in DAZN, according to sources. The deal, which will lead Saudi Arabia to spend "more than a billion dollars," has been "under discussion for at least a year." As part of the investment, Saudi Arabia will get a "partner with a large footprint across multiple continents" that will help to "provide a platform for live sports and other sports-based programming" and "act as a billboard" for Saudi Arabia. One of the plans is for DAZN to "broadcast content from Saudi Arabia for free." For Saudi Arabia, financial success "matters less than the increased visibility for the sports properties it owns, including its top soccer league" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/14).
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