La Liga on Premier Sports and Disney+
Disney+ and Premier Sports have secured the UK and Ireland rights to La Liga football under a new three-season deal.
As part of the agreement, Disney+ will stream the Saturday primetime fixture – normally scheduled for kickoff at 8.30pm – to its subscribers for no extra charge.
Premier Sports, meanwhile, retains the bulk of the rights, running to more than 340 games a season, and will broadcast all of them live – apart from any games which take place during the Saturday afternoon blackout in the UK, which will instead be tape-delayed.
“Today begins a new era in La Liga’s broadcast distribution in the UK and Ireland,” said La Liga president Javier Tebas.
“We’re proud to renew with a valued partner in Premier Sports, while also breaking new ground with an exclusive Saturday night match on Disney+ which will give unparalleled access to La Liga fans of all ages.”
News of Disney+’s involvement comes as the streamer prepares to broadcast live sport in the UK and Ireland for the first time, having previously secured a five-year, pan-European deal for the Women’s Champions League starting this season.
Karl Holmes, Disney+’s general manager in the EMEA, said: “At Disney, we celebrate storytelling that moves and excites. From the cinematic scale of FX’s Alien: Earth to the sharp wit of Only Murders in the Building and the action-packed suspense of Lucasfilm’s Andor, our customers know they’re in for something special.
“Now, with La Liga joining the lineup, they can experience that same excitement on the pitch with weekly matches featuring legendary clubs like Real Madrid and FC Barcelona and stars like Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold, as part of their Disney+ subscription.”
The new La Liga season begins on Friday, August 15 as Girona, who narrowly avoided relegation last season, welcome Rayo Vallecano in a fixture that kicks off at 6pm UK and airs on Premier Sports 1.
