By Rory Carroll
Oct 6 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the US, Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, has joined All Women's Sports Network (AWSN) in an advisory role, as the media company seeks to expand coverage of women's sports in the Middle East and beyond.
AWSN, a sports media platform co-founded by actor Whoopi Goldberg, said her appointment would support efforts to give female athletes greater international exposure.
AWSN Chief Executive George Chung said Princess Reema's advocacy for women
and girls in sport made the partnership a natural fit.
"What she understands is that sports is a catalyst for change," Chung told Reuters. "We consider ourselves a global platform, not just to make sports from around the world more visible, but to make them available to women."
Chung said AWSN planned to stage its first sports festival in the Middle East in the first quarter of 2027. The events would combine games, training camps, entertainment and retail experiences, with the aim of giving local athletes access to international players and creating programming for the network.
The company plans at least four festivals globally next year, including events in Saudi Arabia, the US and Britain, he said.
The appointment comes as Saudi Arabia continues to invest in women's sports under its wider economic and social reform agenda Vision 2030. The Saudi Women's Premier League, launched in 2022, has sought to build a more professional structure for women's soccer in the kingdom. AWSN began airing the league's matches last year.
Saudi Arabia's sports investment has also drawn criticism from rights groups and others who say the country uses high-profile events to improve its international image.
Chung said AWSN had faced no restrictions on its programming in the region and pointed to investment in women's teams, facilities and broadcasts as evidence of growing support for female athletes.
AWSN has recorded steady growth in viewing of Saudi women's soccer, with audience levels rising between 20% and 30% per game, Chung said, while average viewing time increased by nearly 50% over the season.
He added that AWSN drew 1.5 million viewers in its first 10 days on Pakistan's Tamasha platform, a result he said underscored demand for women's sports beyond traditional Western markets.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)
