Spanish football’s top-tier LaLiga has successfully completed its domestic media rights tender for the 2027-32 cycle. Incumbent broadcasters Telefonica and DAZN have retained their rights, contributing to a combined €6.135 billion ($7.113 billion) rights figure across the five years.
Telefonica, via Movistar Plus+, and DAZN will pay a combined €1.05 billion per season for top-flight Spanish football, representing a 9% overall uplift on the current status quo, including 6% growth on LaLiga specific rights. Telecoms giant Telefonica will reportedly pay an average of €527.17 million each season while OTT streaming service DAZN will contribute €522.83 million per year.
In this new deal, both broadcasters will split five matches each per gameweek from the top-flight LaLiga competition as before but with one significant change - Movistar’s three-matchday exclusive broadcast window is eliminated which explains why DAZN has increased its commitment. Both broadcasters are set to receive rights to one each of the two annual El Clásico derby meetings along with an equal number of first-choice picks throughout the season.
Future of sub-licensing deals
In recent years, Telefonica picked up DAZN’s five-game weekly slate through a non-exclusive sub-licensing deal with UK-based OTT platform; however it remains uncertain if this agreement will continue into future seasons.
The total figure of €6.135 billion is not solely based on the top-tier LaLiga matches but also includes projections for several other related segments that LaLiga anticipates will see growth over the period. One such segment is the media rights for the second-tier LaLiga 2 competition, which is predicted to experience a 40% growth, escalating from its current value of €25 million to an estimated €35 million per season.
Another area expected to see significant growth is the HORECA business segment, which encompasses broadcast rights for commercial premises operators; this sector is projected to grow by 30%, reaching €130 million per season. Lastly, LaLiga foresees an increase in earnings from free-to-air rights and highlights coverage, including video clips; it predicts that these will bring in around €60 million in rights across the five-year cycle.
Role of digital technology
One of the primary factors LaLiga attributes its media rights growth to is the infusion and enhancement of digital technology in its broadcasts. In 2023, LaLiga revolutionized its broadcast product with a new visual identity and a uniform in-house live feed production sold to both domestic and international customers.
LaLiga president, Javier Tebar, said:
“In today’s complex domestic and international landscape, securing over €6.135 billion in domestic rights and an overall growth of 9%, equivalent to more than €500 million over the previous cycle, is excellent news for the financial sustainability of our Clubs and the future of Spanish professional football.
“At a time when many leagues are experiencing declining media values, LALIGA’s continued growth and record highs are especially significant. This result reflects the strength of our product and the trust of broadcasters, largely driven by our committed fight against piracy, which has helped increase operators’ user bases, and by the Clubs' dedication to enhancing audiovisual content and offering the best possible fan experience.”
In a media session back in 2024 with Keegan Pierce, LaLiga's director of international relations, and Roger Brosel, head of content and programming at LaLiga explained how these technological advancements are shaping how the league manages to sell its rights.
