Former Manchester United and England football player Rio Ferdinand has made an investment in a Saudi sports platform.
A minority interest in Koora Break, dubbed the fastest-growing football app in the Middle East and North Africa, was purchased by The Ferdinand Group (TFG), a sports and entertainment investment firm owned by the former player.
Koora Break characterized the investment as a “multi-million-dollar deal,” the first of its kind for an international company to invest in a sports media platform in Saudi Arabia, although no precise financial terms were disclosed.
Koora Break, a 2022-founded Arabic website, claims 800 million monthly visitors.
Koora Break intends to use the investment to support its Arabic and English-language expansion throughout Europe and Asia. It has alliances with the Saudi Pro League and the Italian Serie A league.
According to Koora Break, the agreement may expand the audience for Arab football competitions in European markets.
“Koora Break offers premium football and sports coverage throughout Saudi Arabia and the region, which will grow significantly ahead of the 2034 World Cup,” Ferdinand said in a statement.
The agreement demonstrates the platform’s “level of ambition and its potential for rapid expansion and development,” according to Koora Break founder Bader Al Hamad.
“With the support of Ferdinand Group, Koora Break is poised to enter a new phase of growth, creating opportunities for collaboration, enhancing its digital capabilities, and redefining fan engagement in the region and beyond,” Al Hamad said.
In addition to his strong social media presence, Ferdinand, a pundit for UK satellite broadcaster TNT Sports, has 6.5 million Instagram followers, 11.5 on X (formerly Twitter), and 1.2 million on YouTube, where he hosts his podcast, Rio Ferdinand Presents. Some of the biggest names in sports are interviewed by Ferdinand on the show, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, whose episode has received 1.5 million views.
