Footballco has launched a new production studio in Riyadh to scale creator-led, in-studio video content for its Arabic football brands. The facility will support content creation for Yalla GOAL, Yalla Fans and Yalla Girl, alongside branded collaborations for commercial partners.
The new studio complements Footballco’s Middle East headquarters in Riyadh, which opened in December 2024. The company expanded its presence in Saudi Arabia to better serve clients and tap into the Kingdom’s rapidly growing football ecosystem. Since establishing the office, Footballco’s local team has grown to 20 full-time employees.
Footballco currently runs three Arabic-language, video-first football platforms targeting Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha audiences. Yalla GOAL delivers energetic discussions and challenges, while Yalla Girl highlights the rise of women’s football in the region through storytelling focused on talent and community. The studio will also enable in-studio production for Yalla Fans, which was previously filmed on location across regional stadiums.
The investment in creator-led video content is supported by Footballco research indicating young fans value brand partnerships with creators more than official tournament sponsorships. The new studio will increase production frequency and includes the addition of full-time Yalla GOAL hosts Mohammed Bargat and Waleed Alshargi (Shargi), who collectively have more than 900,000 followers.
Andy Jackson said, “With seven national teams from the region set to appear at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, eight if Iraq qualify through the play-offs, these new facilities and increasing video output sets our brands up for success at a time where we know there will be an unprecedented demand for fun, creator-led video content.”
He adds, “We’re also excited to welcome both Borqat and Shargi to the team, with both having more than proved themselves as understanding how to create content that resonates with young fans and they are already familiar to our audiences.
In December, our Arabic social channels generated over 1.7 billion video views so we are building from an incredibly strong base to further cement our position as the clear market leader both in Saudi Arabia and the wider region. Our creator-led video formats have proved incredibly popular with brands, and this investment will see us able to offerc a broader range of opportunities to our many commercial partners.”
Footballco is also preparing special programming for Ramadan, with 30 shows planned across the holy month and an Eid special finale.
Taha Imani said, “ With YouTube becoming the number one place for fans to enjoy longform and short form football content, and based on success across Footballco brands such as The Front Three in other markets, we’re expecting to grow at speed as we approach the World Cup giving fans exactly what they want from us on a daily basis.”
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