Roma have officially announced a two-year shirt sponsorship deal with Saudi sports and entertainment festival Riyadh Season.
With the fourth edition kicking off later this month, Riyadh Season is a state-sponsored sports and entertainment festival hosted in Saudi Arabia’s capital. Concerts, cultural events and exhibitions attract visitors to the festival.
Saudi Arabia has been increasing its presence in the world of football in recent months, starting with the purchase of Newcastle United and the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo. Following that, the state investment fund PIF backed four clubs who were incredibly active in the summer transfer market.
Roma have needed a new shirt sponsor since their deal with DigitalBits fell through. In the meantime, they had been using a symbol of the city: SPQR. The deal is reportedly worth around €25m across the two years and two friendlies will be played at the festival.
Roma CEO and General Manager of the Club Lina Souloukou discussed the deal, saying:
“We are thrilled to welcome Riyadh Season as the new Main Partner of AS Roma. Riyadh Season is one of the biggest winter entertainment events in the world, where sport takes centre stage.
“Our partnership is the recognition of AS Roma as a global brand and of strategic importance for the future of football in Saudi Arabia.
“This market is becoming increasingly significant for the sport, and we believe that our partnership will generate interesting and unique opportunities.
“In addition, we look forward to playing our friendly matches there and experiencing first-hand the passion this country has for football.”
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