ESPN has signed an 8-year agreement with LaLiga that will make ESPN+ the English and Spanish-language home for LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank in the United States.
(ESPN/LaLiga)
What’s Happening:
- Starting this August, ESPN will have the U.S. broadcast rights to LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank soccer games through the 2028-29 season.
- Soccer fans will have live and on-demand access to all 380 LaLiga Santander matches in addition to season-long episodes of LaLiga SmartBank matches on ESPN+.
- Select matches will also be broadcast on ESPN networks, already home to Spain’s Copa Del Rey, the German Bundesliga, MLS, England’s FA Cup, EFL and Carabao Cup, Dutch Eredivisie, Scottish Premiership, UEFA National Team Football, and USL.
- All matches will be broadcast in both English and Spanish.
- ESPN+ will round-out the content with match previews and highlight shows in addition to coverage on other ESPN+ shows.
- Starting Saturday, May 15th, ESPN+ will add a collection of LaLiga programming that includes an ESPN FC LaLiga special, episodes of LaLiga Center, LaLiga Top Moments, the three-part Galacticos documentary about Real Madrid in the early 2000s, and United States of LaLiga.
What They’re Saying:
- Burke Magnus, Executive Vice President, Programming & Original Content, ESPN: “This agreement will bring the excitement, passion, iconic clubs and global superstars of LaLiga to U.S. sports fans with unprecedented access and coverage. As the sport of soccer continues its ascendance in the U.S. market, we are incredibly excited to work with LaLiga to establish a deeper connection to American fans through our company’s industry-leading streaming platforms, television networks, and digital and social media assets.”
- Javier Tebas, President, LaLiga: “We are absolutely thrilled to bring LaLiga to ESPN in the U.S. This is an historic eight-season agreement in U.S. soccer broadcasting that speaks to the power of LaLiga and its clubs in the largest media market in the world and will bring the world’s best soccer league to American screens in a more comprehensive and modern way than ever before.”
- Russell Wolff, Executive Vice President and GM, ESPN+: “This agreement creates a true home for LaLiga in the U.S. for years to come and cements ESPN+ as the premier platform for soccer. We’re excited to showcase the brilliance of LaLiga in our English and Spanish coverage for the growing legion of soccer fans and ESPN+ subscribers.”
- Boris Gartner, CEO North America, LaLiga: “Partnering with ESPN will allow us to have 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 league, 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 U.S.”
Sign up for Disney+ or the Disney Streaming Bundle (Disney+, ESPN+, and ad-supported Hulu) now