Global Football Content Firm Footballco Launches State-of-the-Art Regional HQ In Saudi Arabia

Footballco, global football content and media company, has unveiled its new regional headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This move is set to cater to the burgeoning demand from fans, brands, and rights holders throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

The company, which already enjoys a significant presence in the region with its initial MENA headquarters in Dubai, plans to bolster its operations in Riyadh by establishing comprehensive local creative and client services teams.

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The establishment of the Riyadh headquarters is part of Footballco's strategic expansion plans in the MENA region, supported by DMS as the exclusive media sales representative. This partnership is expected to enhance Footballco's ability to serve the region's football fans and stakeholders more efficiently.

Footballco, backed by Integrated Media Company (IMC), an affiliate of the US private equity firm TPG, publishes several football media brands that are popular in the MENA region. These include GOAL, KOOORA, and an Arabic edition of the women's football brand, INDIVISA.

Andy Jackson, recently named Footballco's Senior Vice President for the Middle East, stated, "The Middle East is seeing a surge of interest in its football, both domestically and globally." Furthermore, Jackson added, "By locating our new regional office in Riyadh, we're positioning Footballco at the center of this growth and ensuring we can better understand the growing fandom in the region and serve the brands and rights holders helping to drive this growth."

Footballco's influence in the MENA region is substantial, reaching an audience of 192 million fans, including over half the adult population of Saudi Arabia each month through its various brands. The company's portfolio caters to diverse fan groups within the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia, where football engagement shows unique characteristics. For instance, younger fans in the Kingdom, who form a significant portion of the audience, often get their football news from social media and have a marked preference for players over clubs.

To resonate with these diverse fan groups, Footballco operates several brands, including social video brands Yalla GOAL and the newly launched Yalla Girl, aimed at Gen-Z fans seeking engaging and personality-driven football content. This strategic focus is informed by the understanding that fans in the Kingdom, reflecting the country's younger demographic, are the most likely globally to engage with football through gaming and show a higher interest in individual players.

In addition to mainstream football, Footballco is committed to promoting women's football in Saudi Arabia, reaching four million Saudi women each month. The company supports the growth of the women's game through GOAL and KOOORA and operates social-first brands like Yalla GIRL and INDIVISA, which offer content tailored to young women's preferences. INDIVISA, in particular, focuses on grassroots football and fostering a community for the growing women's football segment.

As part of its commitment to local talent, Footballco is focusing its recruitment efforts in Riyadh. This initiative has already seen the hiring of creative director Amjad Murad from the Jeddah-based agency Social Clinic. By the end of 2025, Footballco aims to increase its local workforce to 20, supported by its global teams, to further solidify its presence and impact in the region.