SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
La Liga has chosen to partner with Facebook, as Spain’s top flight football league seeks to significantly expand its profile within the Indian sub-continent.
Beginning this weekend, La Liga will stream all season 2018/19 matches (total 380 matches) on Facebook’s social media platform, making its content available to audiences in India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Facebook will replace Sony Entertainment as lead Indian sub-continent broadcaster of La Liga matches.
Sony is reported to have paid $32 million for its previous contract. As yet, La Liga and Facebook have chosen not to disclose partnership terms.
Confirming the deal to Spanish media, La Liga’s Digital Director Alfredo Bermejo declared that the league had secured the most comprehensive ‘free-to-air’ partnership with Facebook, “opening up a potential audience of + 270 million viewers”.
The partnership has caught the eye of tech and media analysts, who believe that Facebook may seek to further grow its presence within developing markets of Asia, South America and Africa, by acquiring sports media rights.
The US social media giant’s sports content strategy is being led by former Eurosport Chief Executive Peter Hutton who joined the company in March 2018.
