LaLiga, the premier professional football division of the Spanish football league system, has officially launched its rights tender for the UK and Ireland. This move is part of a broader strategy that also includes Belgium and DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) regions.
The tender offers two distinct packages. The first package provides exclusive rights to all 380 LaLiga games in Spain's top-flight league. The second package offers co-exclusive rights to all Sunday 8pm GMT fixtures (9pm CET), specifically designed for a free-to-air partner.
Bidders must include both territories - the UK and Ireland - in their proposals. Furthermore, bids can be made for a minimum of three seasons with options to extend up to four or five years starting from the 2025/26 season. In addition to these packages, bidders have an option to bid for the second tier of Spanish football as well. Successful bidders will gain access to LaLiga’s TV linear and streaming channel known as LaLiga TV.
Interested parties have been given two weeks from now to present any questions they may have before submitting their bids by April 4th deadline.
Current rights holders
Currently, ITV holds the free-to-air package which does not include El Clasico – one of world's most-watched annual sporting events featuring Real Madrid vs Barcelona clash. Premier Sports holds other rights through which it broadcasts shows via LaLiga TV available on Premier Sports or Prime Video channels. Recently Premier Sports also acquired broadcasting rights for Copa del Rey - Spain's premier domestic cup competition.
Alongside launching tenders in UK & Ireland markets, LaLiga has also initiated similar processes in Belgium and DACH regions but with different conditions attached: these tenders do not include free-to-air coverage but only exclusive rights covering all fixtures in Belgium (non-exclusive in Luxembourg), and all fixtures in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (non-exclusive in Luxembourg and Liechtenstein).
This move by LaLiga to launch its UK & Ireland rights tender is a significant step towards expanding its global footprint. It offers an exciting opportunity for broadcasters to secure exclusive rights to one of the world's most popular football leagues. With the deadline set for April 4th, it will be interesting to see which broadcasters come forward with their bids and how this development shapes the future of football broadcasting across these regions.
