SMC has announced a strategic partnership with TGI Sport-ISG in an effort to identify and implement advertising and commercial rights through virtual solutions for major sports and entertainment events across Saudi Arabia and the MENA region.

TGI Sport-ISG is a global company in sports technology that develops virtual advertising solutions and advanced sports broadcasting technologies. Together, the partnership aims to provide advanced technological advertising solutions through a comprehensive virtual service for the Saudi leagues and clubs. This effort aims to enhance and expand virtual ad spaces for optimal marketing opportunities and innovation in the sports sector.

The partnership also includes plans for the establishment of an international AI-powered broadcast center in Riyadh.

Khalid AlKhudair, CEO of SMC, said: “This partnership represents the coming together of two entities that share a vision for transforming the sports and entertainment landscape through cutting-edge technology and unmatched expertise.”

This collaboration hopes to align seamlessly with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. SMC’s and TGI Sport-ISG’s commitment to driving innovation hopes to place sport and entertainment at the heart of the nation’s economic and cultural transformation.

“Together with TGI Sport, we are uniquely positioned to accelerate progress for rights holders, broadcasters, advertisers, and audiences, all while reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s role as a global leader in the sports and entertainment sectors,” said AlKhudair.

Simon Burgess, Co-Founder of ISG and Partner of TGI Sport, also commented on the new partnership. “This collaboration is the culmination of months of insightful discussions and realisations, bringing together two organisations aligned in vision and ambition,” he said.

Burgess said the partnership is not just the culmination of two ‘industry heavyweights’, but rather an embarkment on a pathway that ‘promises to accelerate technological innovation across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the wider region, delivering significant benefits to audiences, rights holders, broadcasters, and advertisers alike’.

He also explained that Saudi Arabia is the perfect market to roll-out an offering of virtual advertising solutions as the Kingdom has “emerged as a focal point in the global sports and entertainment landscape.”

As SMC remains an exclusive media partner for several major media outlets in the region, the collaboration with TGI Sport hopes to drive revenue growth for some of the world’s most prominent sports rights holders, including La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, Formula 1 World Championship, the UEFA Champions League, and other premier competitions.