Spanish football’s top-tier league, LaLiga, has announced a significant reshuffling of its media rights distribution in the UK and Ireland. The league has renewed its partnership with Premier Sports while also welcoming OTT giant Disney+ into the broadcast mix for the upcoming cycle.
Disney+ will now be part of LaLiga's broadcasting team, showcasing one game per gameweek exclusively on Saturday evenings throughout the season. This new arrangement sees Disney replace ITV as one of LaLiga's broadcasters in these markets. ITV had previously shown a handful of games each year over their last three campaigns.
This deal aligns with Disney+'s current sports rights portfolio, which includes recently secured rights to the pan-European UEFA Women's Champions League across Europe and men’s UEFA Europa League and Conference League competitions in Sweden and Denmark. The agreement with UWCL extends through 2029-30, with coverage produced by ESPN, another entity under Disney ownership.
Premier Sports continues as primary broadcaster
Premier Sports will maintain its position as LaLiga’s primary broadcaster in both markets. It will continue to show over 340 La Liga fixtures per season on its linear TV channels and OTT platforms.
In addition to Spanish soccer’s elite competition, Premier Sports also broadcasts Spain’s second-tier league -La Liga2-, Scotland's top-flight Premiership football matches along with their league cup competition (known as the Premier Sports Cup due to an associated title sponsorship deal). Recently, Premier Sports has diversified into rugby union broadcasting by acquiring rights for URC international club competition while launching a dedicated rugby channel on linear TV and OTT platforms.
La Liga is not only focusing on traditional broadcasting but is also expanding its digital footprint by increasing access to highlights and clips content via digital platforms such as Goalhanger and other outlets. This move is likely to attract a younger, digitally savvy audience who consume sports content on the go. It also provides an opportunity for fans to catch up on missed games or relive their favorite moments.
Star-studded rosters
LaLiga boasts some of the most talented players in world football, including England internationals Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold of Real Madrid, Marcus Rashford of FC Barcelona, Conor Gallagher of Atletico Madrid, as well as England under-20 cap Tyrhys Dolan of Espanyol.
These star-studded rosters are sure to provide plenty of thrilling action for viewers tuning into Premier Sports or Disney+ throughout the season.
The new broadcast rights distribution deal marks a significant step forward for LaLiga in terms of expanding its reach and accessibility in the UK and Ireland markets. With Premier Sports continuing its comprehensive coverage and Disney+ adding exclusive matches to its offering, fans have more ways than ever before to enjoy all the action from one of most exciting leagues.
