Saudi Arabia has taken over sports. The country started with boxing, mixed martial arts, and lately, flag football. However, it doesnât end there, as prince Turki Alalshikh said the country is really interested in bringing the NFL to his country, something commissioner Roger Goodell might need to consider.
Speaking to David Hellier of Bloomberg.com on Thursday, Alalshikh said, âBritain got it, Brazil got it. Hopefully, Saudi Arabia will be next.â While the NFL hasnât voiced any reaction to the statement, Roger Goodell has make it clear they want the NFL to be a global brand.
Having said that, it seems like Saudi Arabia is not exactly on the radar⊠for now. Hellier reported that the NFLâs recent program assigns specific countries to specific franchises for marketing purposes. That program doesnât include Saudi Arabia.
What Turki wants, Turki gets
When you are ambitious, smart and have basically unlimited amounts of money, you can get a lot of things done in life. Turkiâs focus is on sports and now that he has great relationships in boxing and mixed martial arts, it seems like football is his next target.
Turki Alalshikh
The money Turki has would mean two things. First, the country is more than capable of hosting an all-time show when welcoming the NFL for a game. Second, itâs imperative for the NFL to send two top-tier franchises. When Turki puts money on something, he expects great results, hence his boxing bouts feature the biggest names, and UFC events in Saudi Arabia also have blockbuster cards.
Thereâs a possibility to do something great here
Saudi Arabiaâs money comes mainly from oil⊠If only there was an NFL team that could relate. The Tennessee Titans could turn back the clock and use a retro vibe to when they were the Oilers. It would be great for marketing.
Now, the Titans arenât exactly a top team right now in the NFL but if you do the Oilersâ reversal and put a juggernaut against them, the game would sell incredibly well. It could be an absolute show.
