LaLiga, the governing body of Spanish football’s top two divisions, has launched an invitation to tender for its media rights in 11 European territories.
The ITT is for five seasons, from 2021-22 to 2025-26, covering exclusive platform-neutral rights to the top-tier LaLiga Santander and non-exclusive rights to the second-tier LaLiga Smartbank.
The governing body was given authorisation to sell future broadcast rights in Europe for more than three seasons in amends made to the Royal Decree that governs the sale of centralised rights.
Territories included in the ITT are: Albania, Cyprus, Estonia, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Romania, Russia and Switzerland (including Liechtenstein non-exclusively).
A bid deadline of midday (CET) on July 9 has been set. LaLiga is working with the Mediapro agency during the tender process.
All matches from the top-tier and second-tier are included in the inventory as well as all play-off matches for promotion to the top tier. The rights on offer do not include the rights for betting streaming, radio transmissions, commercial uses of statistics and graphics, and broadcast in public places.
Successful bidders will be required to broadcast a minimum of three full-length matches per first division match-week (of which two must be live), weekly broadcasts of LaLiga’s highlights and magazine shows. All LaLiga Santander matches are required to be transmitted live digitally, via a designated website or OTT platform.
LaLiga also requires that a minimum of one LaLiga Smartbank match be broadcast per match week as well as its equivalent highlights show. For the play-off matches, a minimum of three out of six matches must be shown in full length.
LaLiga launched an invitation to tender covering rights in 16 other European territories earlier this year, and has awarded rights in the majority of those markets.
Five-year agreements – also from 2021-22 to 2025-26 – have been agreed with Norwegian commercial and pay-television broadcaster TV2, telco Telia in Sweden and Finland (through TV4 Media), and government-owned subscription and free-to-air broadcaster TV2 in Denmark.
The Saran Media agency has held on to LaLiga broadcast rights in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and telco Telekom Srbija was awarded rights in the Balkan region. It is thought that a deal is close to being announced in Hungary.