LaLiga launches rights tender in European markets

LaLiga, the organisation which oversees the top two divisions of Spanish club football, has launched a tender process for its media rights in Europe.

The tender includes rights to games from the top-tier Primera División, along with the play-off matches that determine promotion to the league and additional programming.

The tender covers 32 markets, excluding Spain. The rights are being marketed in countries within the European Economic Area for the three seasons spanning 2018-19 to 2020-21.

Offers are being accepted for rights in countries outside the EEA for the five seasons spanning 2018-19 to 2022-23.

The deadline for offers has been set at 6pm CET on January 15.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas last month said the organisation expects to earn €2.3bn ($2.66bn) per year from its broadcast rights within three seasons, adding it was looking to take its rights to market as the political situation in Catalonia had improved.

LaLiga currently generates around €1bn per season for its domestic rights, and a further €650m from the international market. Tebas said that new contracts should bring in around €1.3bn per season for domestic rights and €1bn for overseas, if negotiations progress smoothly.

In October, Tebas said LaLiga had delayed talks over its next set of international broadcast rights amid the uncertainty caused by Catalonia’s proposed split from Spain.