ESPN International has reached a broad multimedia rights agreement to broadcast Spain’s LaLiga and the Liga Adelante (first and second divisions) in Spanish-speaking South America and North America. The South American agreement includes exclusive rights to five LaLiga BBVA and at least five Liga Adelante matches per week through 2020, along with the annual promotion and relegation playoff matches between those two top divisions.
Under the deal, ESPN has the right to air 190 La Liga BBVA matches and over eighty hours of highlights, magazine and other support programming each season, as well as 231 Liga Adelante matches per season. The agreement was brokered by Mediapro, agency representatives of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional de España.
To complement the live telecasts, the agreement also includes weekly magazine and highlight shows, as well as various specials that will air throughout each season. Dedicated programming includes two shows around El Clásico, detailing the latest clashes between Real Madrid and Barcelona; “Liga Show,” a weekly magazine presenting previews in anticipation of each round and relevant news and information; “La Liga World,” a weekly show focused on highlights from the previous competition rounds, players profiles, close up interviews and history moments; and “La Liga Highlights,” presenting the best from each match.
“La Liga BBVA showcases some of the world’s marquee talent competing at the top of their game. We’re very pleased to bring it to our South American fans for the next five seasons,” commented Tim Bunnell, Senior Vice President of Production, Programming, Marketing and Advertising Sales at ESPN.
“La Liga BBVA is a dynamic property and a key part of our schedule that complements other top international football leagues and a great variety of international sport we bring to Latin American fans,” added Guillermo Tabanera, Senior Vice President and General Manager at ESPN Latin America.
Furthermore, ESPN will take over English-language rights to LaLiga when next season begins in August as part of an eight-year agreement announced. “The United States is the most important market for the league outside of Spain. It has been a priority for LaLiga to get our product closer to our fans here,” said Boris Gartner, CEO of LaLiga for North America.
ESPN’s coverage of the La Liga BBVA and Liga Adelante will air across a variety of multimedia platforms, including ESPN’s television networks ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN+, and ESPNHD. ESPN Play, ESPN’s broadband network, will also offer extensive coverage throughout the tournaments. Additionally, rights will extend across the brand’s regional digital platforms including ESPN.com, ESPNFC.com, the ESPN FC app, and ESPN mobile Web.
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