Football fans get La Liga broadcast rights boost

REUTERS/Albert Gea/File Photo

Football fans in Nigeria and other sub-Saharan African countries now have the opportunity to follow games of the La Liga through StarTimes channels.

StarTimes on Thursday announced that it has acquired the broadcast rights for an initial five-year period, which gives it the authority to broadcast Laliga EA Sports and Laliga Hypermotion for the next five seasons.

Laliga EA Sports is the premier football league in Spain and is considered one of the top professional football leagues in Europe and the world, featuring 20 participating teams. Each season consists of 38 rounds with 10 matches per round, following a home and away format.

LALIGA also boasts the record for producing the most winners of both the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year awards.

With this acquisition, StarTimes holds the rights to broadcast LALIGA EA Sports and LALIGA Hypermotion for the seasons from 2024/25 to 2028/29 seasons.

The broadcast will be available in all languages including English, Portuguese, and local languages, reaching audiences across all countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Speaking on the development, Laliga’s Audiovisual Director, Melcior Soler, said: “Reaching our audience is essential for us, and partnering with StarTimes is key to deliver our best-in-class content to all our fans in the Sub-Saharian region.”

Sports Acquisition and Operation Director of StarTimes, Tiffany Shao, enthused: “We are thrilled to share the news of our successful bid for the Laliga broadcast rights, securing access to one of the most prestigious football competitions globally. Soccer is at the heart of StarTimes’ sports content strategy, and this latest acquisition underscores our dedication to delivering top-notch football