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الاقتصادية
Saudi Arabia's sports app growth boost
Recent reports reveal that sports are no longer limited to traditional activities on the playing fields but have become a major driver of digital activity and advertising, especially during the 2026 World Cup. Sports apps recorded approximately 666 million downloads in the first half of 2026, representing a 4% increase compared to last year, with revenues remaining stable at around $692 million. Saudi Arabia led the growth of the global sports app market, with downloads doubling to reach 14 million, surpassing major markets like Japan and Argentina. This indicates a noticeable acceleration in demand within Saudi Arabia for digital sports content and services, which generated over $6 million in revenue during the same period. Digital advertising related to sports content also saw significant growth, exceeding $3 billion in spending, with ad impressions increasing by 11.2%. The United States experienced even stronger growth, over 30%. The results of the World Cup contributed to a substantial rise in downloads of news and sports results apps, with more than 137 million downloads in Q2 2026. The use of applications like FotMob and Sofascore increased markedly. Additionally, online sports website visits exceeded 21 billion during that quarter, with users increasingly favoring mobile apps. Women's sports, particularly the WNBA, saw an expansion in advertising, while licensed sports games achieved the highest revenues, with titles like eFootball and EA SPORTS FC Mobile generating nearly $1.1 billion from in-app purchases, reflecting diverse local preferences based on sport type and country. These data illustrate that the digital transformation in sports is reshaping audience engagement and advertising spending like never before, with Saudi Arabia emerging as one of the fastest-growing markets in this sector.
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