LaLigaTV revamp results in Futsal channel

LaLigaTV, the over-the-top (OTT) streaming platform of Spanish soccer’s top flight governing body, has been renamed as LaLigaSportsTV as part of a change in strategic direction for the service.

The platform’s new three-year project, serviced through a tie-up with Samsung’s smart TV platform, comes with La Liga looking to change the sponsorship model of the OTT service.

The move will see the federations whose sports are broadcast on LaLigaSportsTV receive increased exposure, while also improving their data collection capacity and consequently ability to feed sponsors more detailed user information.

In recent years, the service – in its current form – has seen advertising and sponsorship revenue fall. In 2017, the figure was at €15.3 million (US$17.6 million) – down from €17.9 million (US$20.6 million) the previous year.

As part of the revamped platform, handball, futsal and basketball are all set to have their own channels, as well as water polo, badminton and hockey. It is thought that further federations will opt to join the platform, which has been handed an annual purse of €3 million (US$3.4 million) by La Liga.

La Liga president Javier Tebas said of the relaunch: “We compete with Netflix and HBO, who have stolen a portion of the Spanish public to entertain them. We have to entertain better than them because they are competition. That’s why we have invested in improving the retransmissions, to attract more.”

He added: “We are not paid by televisions nor are we kidnapped by them. It is the spectators who are paying and are contributing to this industry. We have to get rid of the fact that we are in the hands of televisions because we are in the hands of the spectators.”

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Article source and main picture: SportsPro

SportsPro is a London, UK-based media company focusing on the business, commercial and governance aspects of global sport.