The media group plans to expand Thmanyah’s visual sports and digital content business after the company secured exclusive Saudi sports broadcasting rights for six seasons.

Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG) is increasing its bet on digital media and sports content after announcing plans to raise its ownership stake in Thmanyah Company for Publishing and Distribution from 51% to 75%.

The move will happen through SRMG subsidiary Arab Media Company, which entered into arrangements with Thmanyah’s remaining partners to restructure ownership and provide additional financing to the company.

Why You Should Care

The deal signals how major regional media groups are increasing investments in sports, digital content, and streaming businesses as competition for audiences and advertising revenue intensifies across the Gulf.

It also reflects the growing commercial importance of sports broadcasting rights in Saudi Arabia’s wider media and entertainment expansion plans.

Under the arrangement, Arab Media Company will capitalize on previous financing and payments provided to Thmanyah worth more than USD 13.93 million (SAR 52.3M). It will also pay USD 11.99 million (SAR 45M) to Thmanyah’s remaining partners as part of the agreed settlement structure.

Once regulatory approvals are secured, Arab Media Company’s ownership stake in Thmanyah will increase from 51% to 75%.

SRMG also said Arab Media Company will provide additional financing to Thmanyah over four years, with a cap of USD 53.26 million (SAR 200M). The financing will be provided under ordinary, non-preferential terms to support the company’s operational activities based on its future needs.

The financial impact of the arrangement is expected to begin in the second half of fiscal year 2026.

SRMG said the transaction aligns with its broader strategy focused on growth, expansion, and improving the performance of its subsidiaries while leveraging the group’s liquidity position.

The financing aims to support Thmanyah’s expansion in visual sports and non-sports content. This comes after securing exclusive broadcasting rights for Saudi sports competitions for six seasons.

The move aims to strengthen Thmanyah’s position in advertising and digital content while helping it benefit from what it described as large market opportunities in both sectors.

The Ripple

The transaction comes as regional media companies continue to compete for premium sports content and digital audiences. This is especially true for Saudi Arabia where investment in entertainment, streaming, and sports infrastructure has been accelerating in recent years.

It also highlights how media groups are increasingly combining ownership expansion with long-term financing commitments to scale content platforms beyond traditional publishing models.

What to Watch

SRMG’s deeper investment in Thmanyah signals how regional media groups are increasingly backing sports, streaming, and digital content businesses as audience consumption shifts further toward online and visual platforms.

For Thmanyah, the additional financing and ownership support could accelerate its expansion across sports broadcasting, advertising, and digital media after securing exclusive Saudi sports rights for six seasons.

More broadly, the deal reflects how Saudi Arabia’s media sector is attracting larger long-term investments tied to sports rights, digital advertising, and content production as competition for regional audiences intensifies.