logo
episode-header-image
Yesterday
17m 21s

Why the era of Saudi “sportswashing” cou...

SKY NEWS
About this episode

A multi-billion-dollar Saudi-backed golf tour is reportedly close to collapse – so could this spell an end to the Gulf state’s interest in sport?

The controversial LIV Golf Tour is just one strand of the Saudis’ sporting portfolio.

Footballing superstar Cristiano Ronaldo plays there, while the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) also owns English Premier League team, Newcastle United.

But the PIF - which has plunged $5b into the LIV project - has a new five-year economic strategy that includes no mention of sport. Having been accused of using sport as a political tool to legitimise the Saudi regime, what led to this apparent change of strategy?

Sky News’ sports correspondent Rob Harris joins Niall to discuss what it means for the future of Saudi sport.

Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show: why@sky.uk

Up next
Apr 2025
'Defiled and looted' - returning home during the Sudan war
Civil war has been raging in Sudan for two years. The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has seen famine, destruction, and millions driven from their homes. Among them, the family and friends of our Africa correspondent Yous ... Show More
16m 11s
Apr 2025
Did Trump just win the election for Canada’s Mark Carney
Mark Carney's Liberals have won the Canadian election in a remarkable turnaround for the centre-left party.      The Liberal Party was well behind in the polls just months ago.  That's before Carney replaced Justin Trudeau as leader and US President Donald Trump soured relations ... Show More
14m 52s
Today
Is Olly Robbins the Mandelson scapegoat?
Top civil servant Olly Robbins has been sacked after his department did not inform the prime minister that Lord Mandelson had failed security vetting for the role of US ambassador.Opposition parties are calling on the prime minister to resign but Sir Keir Starmer is insisting he ... Show More
16m 20s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
Donald Trump’s Greasy Grifters Will Do Anything for a Photo Op
The New Abnormal co-host Danielle Moodie was appalled at reports this week alleging a “physical altercation” between a Trump employee and Arlington National Cemetery official. Then, David Sirota, the founder and editor-in-chief of The Lever, joins the pod to talk about their new ... Show More
1h 10m
Nov 2024
Trump, Again
<p>In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Donald J. Trump was elected president for a second time.</p><p>Shortly before that call was made, the Times journalists Michael Barbaro, Nate Cohn, Lisa Lerer and Astead W. Herndon sat down to discuss the state of the election.</p><p>Gu ... Show More
32m 43s
Nov 2024
Donald Trump’s America
<p>As the fallout from the election settles, Americans are beginning to absorb, celebrate and mourn the coming of a second Trump presidency.</p><p>Nate Cohn, chief political analyst for The Times, and Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent, discuss the voting blocks that Tr ... Show More
30m 57s
Jul 2024
The assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump: Political implications, how the attack could have taken place, and the history of political violence in America
Today on the show, Fareed is joined by an expert panel to discuss the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Eurasia Group president Ian Bremmer, New Yorker staff writer Evan Osnos, and CNN presidential historian Timothy Naftali all join to talk about the politic ... Show More
42m 9s
Jul 2024
Trump accepts the Republican nomination
<p>Donald Trump formally accepted the Republican party nomination for president. HSBC’s new chief executive, Georges Elhedery, will face a unique set of challenges while transitioning into the role, and the European Central Bank decided to keep interest rates unchanged yesterday. ... Show More
11m 18s
Aug 2024
Trump and Harris Agree to Debate
Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers a ... Show More
55m 37s
Jul 2024
Trump speaks and Biden's last stand: America's crazy week in politics
It’s been an absolutely batshit crazy week in American politics. Donald Trump has accepted the Republican nomination to be president, days after surviving an attempted assassination. Then, at the Republican National Convention which has been dominating headlines this week, Trump ... Show More
17m 5s
May 2024
Former US Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal on Trump Conviction
Splashed across newspapers the world over is the historic news of the first-ever criminal conviction of a former US president. Former US Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal joins the show to discuss the facts of the case and what happens next.  Also on today's show: Norm Eisen, ... Show More
1 h
Jul 2024
Trump shooting shakes up presidential election
<p>The gunshots targeting former president Donald Trump have altered the US political landscape. The assassination attempt sparked urgent calls for calm and unity. How much of an impact will it have on the already unprecedented presidential race?</p> <p><strong>In this episode: < ... Show More
17m 20s