THE FOOTBALL BUSINESS NETWORK DAILY: 19 June 2025
Saudi Arabia's Asian Expansion Gambit, Korean Casino Football Marriage, Australia's Banking Musical Chairs, and More
🌏 GLOBAL COMMERCIAL MOVES
Saudi Arabia Exports Its Football Circus to Hong Kong - But Does Anyone Want to Watch?
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation has announced that the 2025 Saudi Super Cup will be held in Hong Kong from August 19-23, featuring Al-Ittihad, Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Hilal, and Al-Nassr at the 40,000-capacity Hong Kong Stadium. It's the first time the tournament ventures into East Asia, which sounds impressive until you realise they've already tried London (multiple times) and the Middle East, seemingly running out of places that'll have them.
The deal comes through an agreement between the SAFF's commercial partner SMC Group and Hong Kong-based SUM KM Sport, which was only established in February this year. Nothing says "well-established partnership" quite like signing with a company that's barely learned to walk. One suspects the primary qualification was being willing to take the Saudis' money, which, to be fair, is becoming an increasingly rare trait in global sports.
The timing is deliciously ironic. Cristiano Ronaldo could be among an array of big-name footballers descending on Hong Kong, with his contract expiring at the end of June but expected to extend his stay with Al-Nassr. Because nothing says "authentic football experience" quite like watching a 40-year-old Portuguese legend collect another enormous cheque in a territory that's still figuring out whether it prefers football or proper football.
The real question isn't whether this represents "qualitative shift" for the tournament, as Saudi officials claim, but whether anyone outside the immediate families of the players will actually bother turning up. Kai Tak Stadium is reportedly unavailable due to concerts by Hong Kong singer G.E.M., which rather suggests where the local entertainment priorities lie. When you're playing second fiddle to the local pop scene, it might be time to reconsider your global expansion strategy.
Still, credit where it's due: the Saudis are certainly committed to their Vision 2030 of becoming a global sporting powerhouse. Whether that vision includes actually developing local talent or just buying expensive foreign circus acts remains delightfully unclear. At least Hong Kong will get a proper look at what £2 billion can buy you these days - spoiler alert: it's not necessarily what you'd call football.
[Read more: The Stadium Business]
🎰 STADIUM NAMING SHENANIGANS
Korean Football Club Discovers Casinos Make Excellent Stadium Sponsors - Who Knew?
K League football club Gangwon FC has agreed a stadium naming-rights deal with High1, a local ski resort that already served as the club's main sponsor, with the 22,000-capacity Gangneung Stadium now officially rebranded as the Gangneung High1 Arena. The deal was signed ahead of their home match against Daegu FC, because nothing says "perfect timing" quite like announcing your casino partnership right before a football match.
High1 isn't just any old ski resort, mind you. Kangwon Land, which operates High1, is home to the only casino in South Korea where Korean citizens are allowed to play, located at the foot of the High1 Ski and Golf Resort. So we've got a football club sponsored by a gambling establishment in a country where gambling is largely prohibited for locals. The irony is so thick you could cut it with a kimchi knife.
The most entertaining part? To reduce confusion among fans, two names - Gangneung High1 Arena and Gangneung Sports Complex - will be displayed next to each other for the next few matches. Because nothing reduces confusion quite like having two different names for the same building. It's like calling your local pub both "The Red Lion" and "Dave's Drinking Establishment" and hoping everyone sorts it out eventually.
Gangwon FC, who joined the K League in 2009 and have had their ups and downs including relegation to the K League Challenge in 2013, finished as league runners-up in the 2024 season behind champions Ulsan HD. One can't help but wonder if their improved fortunes are connected to having a casino as their primary benefactor. In football, as in Vegas, the house usually wins.
High1 Resort itself is quite the operation, featuring High1 Resort, Grand Hotel, Kangwon Land Casino, and various recreational facilities including an 18-hole golf course and ski resort with 18 slopes. It's basically a Korean version of Monaco, except with more kimchi and fewer tax exiles. The fact that a football club has nestled itself into this entertainment empire suggests someone has a rather expansive view of what constitutes "sporting partnership."
The length of the deal wasn't disclosed, which is probably for the best. In the gambling business, you never reveal your hand until you absolutely have to.
[Read more: The Stadium Business]
🏦 BANKING MUSICAL CHAIRS DOWN UNDER
Commonwealth Bank Abandons Cricket for Football - Australia's Sporting Loyalties Prove as Fickle as a Melbourne Weather Forecast
Commonwealth Bank has announced a landmark six-year deal with Football Australia, becoming the naming rights partner of the Socceroos and expanding its existing sponsorship of the CommBank Matildas, ParaMatildas, and Pararoos. The deal, reportedly worth between $60-90 million, represents a seismic shift in Australian sporting allegiances that would make even the most seasoned political operative blush.
This comes as CommBank announced it will end its commercial partnership with Cricket Australia after 37 years, with Westpac reportedly close to being announced as the exclusive banking partner of CA in a multi-year deal. Thirty-seven years of supporting cricket, only to abandon ship for the round ball game. That's either strategic brilliance or the corporate equivalent of a mid-life crisis - trading in your reliable Toyota for a flashy sports car.
The timing couldn't be more telling. The expanded sponsorship comes at a time when football has surged in popularity, with Matildas game attendance more than doubling since 2021 and girls' participation up 27 per cent. Meanwhile, cricket has been dealing with the ongoing challenges of declining attendance and an ageing demographic. It's rather like betting on the promising youngster rather than the aging champion - commercially sensible, if somewhat ruthless.
From 1 September 2025, CommBank will take over as official naming rights partner for the Socceroos, the Olyroos, and a full range of national youth teams, including the Young Socceroos and the Joeys. That's a comprehensive takeover that makes Roman Abramovich's Chelsea purchase look like a modest investment. They're not just buying naming rights; they're essentially becoming the financial backbone of Australian football.
What's particularly amusing is the corporate speak surrounding the switch. CommBank's group executive for marketing, Monique Macleod, said they "had a very long relationship with Cricket Australia, and we're incredibly proud of what we've done," before immediately adding that this football deal is "such a natural fit." Translation: cricket was lovely while it lasted, but football pays better and has younger, more attractive demographics.
The deal positions CommBank as potentially the largest supporter of football in Australian history, which is either a testament to their vision or a spectacular gamble on a sport that's spent decades trying to establish itself as more than just a niche interest. With the Socceroos preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Matildas hosting the AFC Women's Asia Cup, the timing suggests CommBank believes football's time has finally arrived Down Under. Whether Australian audiences agree remains to be seen.
[Read more: Commonwealth Bank]
🏟️ AMERICAN STADIUM DREAMS
Rhode Island's Banking Love Affair - When Small-Town Finance Meets Big-League Ambitions
Rhode Island FC has officially named their new stadium Centreville Bank Stadium, with the 10,500+ capacity venue opening for competitive action on May 3 with a match against San Antonio FC. The naming rights deal with the nearly 200-year-old, Rhode Island-based institution represents what the club calls their "most significant partnership to date," which sounds impressive until you remember they've only existed since 2019.
The stadium is located on the banks of the Seekonk River as part of the larger Tidewater Landing development in downtown Pawtucket, described as the largest private capital investment in any Rhode Island development in over a century. That's quite the claim for a state whose previous major developments probably included a particularly ambitious lobster shack or an unusually large Dunkin' Donuts.
What's genuinely refreshing is the local focus. Centreville Bank, founded in 1828 and headquartered in West Warwick, opened its first branch in Pawtucket next to RIFC headquarters on February 19. It's proper community banking - the sort where the bank president probably knows your mum and remembers when you were terrible at Little League. None of this multinational corporate nonsense; just good old-fashioned local money backing local dreams.
The stadium opened on May 3, 2025, for Rhode Island FC's scheduled regular season home game against San Antonio FC, resulting in a 0-0 draw and an over-capacity announced attendance of 10,700. A goalless draw for the inaugural match is so perfectly American soccer that it almost feels scripted. At least they sold out, which suggests Rhode Islanders are either genuinely excited about football or desperately starved for entertainment options.
Rhode Island FC President David Peart described it as "more than just a naming rights agreement; it is a true collaboration with an organization that shares our commitment to the community." That sounds lovely until you realise every naming rights deal in history has been described in exactly the same terms. Still, when your bank has been around since Andrew Jackson was president, there's something to be said for institutional stability.
The club's ambitions extend well beyond football. The stadium has also hosted a US Open Cup match and international friendly matches, with plans for Women's Elite Rugby and the 2025 Major League Rugby Championship. They're clearly trying to be all things to all people, which in Rhode Island might actually work - when your entire state has fewer people than most decent-sized cities, you need to maximise every opportunity.
[Read more: Rhode Island FC]
⚡ MARKET INTELLIGENCE
Australian Banking Sector Shows Football Is the New Cricket - CommBank's strategic pivot from cricket to football signals broader demographic shifts. Women's sport participation driving commercial decisions more than traditionalist sentiment.
Asian Market Penetration Strategies Favour Established Infrastructure - Hong Kong's selection over other East Asian markets reflects preference for existing stadium capacity and regulatory familiarity over ambitious ground-up development.
Regional Banking Partnerships Offer Stability Over Global Glamour - Rhode Island's local bank approach contrasts sharply with typical naming rights megadeals, suggesting sustainable community-focused models have genuine appeal.
💼 JOBS OF THE DAY
Assistant Head of Strength & Conditioning, Soccer - IMG Academy, Bradenton, FL, USA
Boarding School Sales Advisor, Girls Soccer - IMG Academy, Bradenton, FL, USA
Coordinator, Finance and Strategy - U.S. Soccer Federation, Atlanta, GA, USA
Youth Intervention Coach, LFC Foundation - Liverpool FC, Anfield Sport & Community Centre, Liverpool, UK
Youth Soccer Coaches - NY Gotham FC, New York/New Jersey, USA
🔥 TOMORROW'S AGENDA
European transfer window machinations, MLS expansion economics, and the eternal question of whether anyone actually understands FFP regulations.
The Football Business Network Daily - Where commercial reality meets sporting fantasy.