By Andy Marston, Sports Pundit
Cristiano Ronaldo has live-streamed the Riyadh Season Premier Padel semi-finals and finals on his YouTube channel, bringing the sport to millions of new fans
Available in 130+ countries, Ronaldo's channel boasts 74M+ subscribers, marking a major distribution play for padel.
Over 620,000 viewers tuned into the final day of Premier Padel’s Riyadh event through the official Cristiano Ronaldo YouTube channel.
Follows his high-profile appearances at the tournament, reinforcing his role in amplifying the sport.
Not a traditional creator-driven stream—Ronaldo isn’t commentating or adding personal input; instead, this is a pure distribution move, raising questions about media rights ownership and financial structure.
Premier Padel spans 24 tournaments in 16 countries, with official broadcasters including Red Bull TV, beIN Sports, Canal+, ESPN/Disney+, and Sky Italia.
Why It Matters:
This move reflects the growing shift toward athletes and creators becoming media distributors, bypassing or collaborating with traditional broadcasters.
CazéTV secured streaming rights from the IOC, NFL, and UEFA in Brazil.
iShowSpeed has claimed that he has permission to stream anime series One Piece on his YouTube channel.
Kings League streams games via its streamer-owners’ channels, amplifying reach beyond its owned platforms.
Juventus Football Club streamed the World Freestyle Football Championships on its TikTok, tapping into its 39M+ followers.
Last Friday, Professional Bull Riders (PBR) aired a live simulcast on its and WWE’s YouTube channels.
With athletes, streamers, and even clubs acting as media hubs, could Ronaldo’s channel evolve into a major sports distribution platform?
As audiences shift to digital, expect figures with influential followings to become the new TV networks—not just creating content, but curating, aggregating, and dictating what their audience watches.
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