hanks to the deal, fans of LaLiga in the US will have access to hundreds of matches of the two top tier divisions in Spanish soccer: LaLiga Santander and LaLiga Smartbank. As of August, and for the coming eight years, the subscription channel ESPN+ will stream live and on-demand (replay) all 380 matches per season of the first division.
In addition, ESPN will livestream a selection of matches of the second division, LaLiga Smartbank, and the postseason qualifying rounds of promotion to the premier league. Adding Laliga, ESPN+ attains a very comprehensive coverage of Spanish football, as it already held rights for Copa del Rey, Copa de la Reina and Supercopa de España.
All matches will be available with audios in English and Spanish, but the coverage goes much further as ESPN will broadcast additional programming; such as game previews, magazine shows and highlights, something that adds to its existing shows on Spanish soccer and LaLiga.
The agreement also includes broadcasting rights for Canada. The country´s leading sports networks, RDS and TSN, will provide full coverage of Laliga matches, news and highlights to Canadian viewers on multiple platforms. Live streams will be available on RDS.ca and TSN.ca, as well as via their apps.
The top division of Spanish football, LaLiga Santander, is amongst the most important sports leagues in Europe and the world. The competition features 20 clubs, and its flagships are Real Madrid and Barcelona but also Atletico Madrid, which just became LaLiga champion with a dramatic win in the last day of the season.
Voices from both sides praise the deal
The president of LaLiga, Javier Tebas, has asserted: “We are thrilled to bring LaLiga in the US with ESPN. This historic eight-season agreement for broadcasting speaks to the power of LaLiga and its clubs in the largest media market in the world. American fans will have access to the world’s best soccer league in a more comprehensive and modern way than ever before”.
Russell Wolff, General Manager and Executive Vice President of ESPN+, said: “this deal creates a true home for LaLiga in the US for the years to come and cements ESPN+ as the premier platform for soccer. We are excited to showcase the brilliance of LaLiga in our English and Spanish coverage for the growing legion of soccer fans and ESPN subscribers”.
The CEO of LaLiga North America, Boris Gartner, added: “Partnering with ESPN will allow us to have a unique LaLiga programming across ESPN+ and ESPN´s network and digital platforms, super-serving existing fans and introducing new consumers to the drama and passion of LaLiga. The clubs and players will be as close to the American fans as they’ve ever been, at a time where soccer is growing leaps and bounds in the US.”
The agreement between both parties comes just over a year after LaLiga signed its first deal in the region with a gambling operator, PointsBet, as of which it became “Official Betting Partner of LaLiga North America”. Based on what was agreed, the global sportsbook incorporated unique and multilingual content that features across LaLiga North America´s programming, and created the special Pointsbet Prediction of the Week.
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