- RTVE acquires the free-to-air rights to the LaLiga EA Sports match and will broadcast it on Teledeporte
- The first match on digital terrestrial television will be Espanyol - Girona, corresponding to matchday 20.
- Access no longer depends on DAZN registration and is once again direct from conventional television.
- This move adds to RTVE's commitment to football with the Copa del Rey being broadcast on free-to-air television.
Top-flight football is making a grand return to free-to-air television. After several years in which the free LaLiga match EA Sports was linked to registration in streaming platformsThe digital terrestrial television window regains prominence thanks to a move by public television.
RTVE has decided to invest in the league championship again and has reached an agreement for them to Teledeporte broadcasts one match per day on free-to-air television.In this way, any fan with access to the Digital Terrestrial Television You can follow the weekly clash without subscriptions, without signing up and without needing an internet connection.
RTVE brings back LaLiga EA Sports to free-to-air television
The confirmation of this shift has occurred discreetly but effectively: a commercial aired on Teledeporte It was announced that RTVE's sports channel will broadcast the league match on free-to-air television for the remainder of the 2025/2026 season. There has been no official statement detailing all the conditions yet, but the on-air announcement clears up any doubts about the return of top-flight football to digital terrestrial television.
As reported in various media outlets and as could be seen on the Teledeporte broadcast itself, the public channel has bought the free-to-air rights to the First Division matchThis match will be broadcast daily via digital terrestrial television (DTT), meaning viewers can follow it simply by turning on their TV and tuning to the channel, without any registration or additional procedures.
This move comes after a long period in which free access to the league match involved DAZNwhich held a free-to-air match on the condition of registering on its platform. Now, that option is complemented by a purely television alternative, designed for those who prefer the classic formula of watching football on their living room TV, without digital intermediaries.
The acquisition aligns with RTVE's public service strategy, which it has been strengthening in recent times, particularly regarding national competitions. The corporation, which had already acquired a large package of King's Cup rightsThis takes another step towards reintroducing top-flight football on free-to-air television.
First match on Teledeporte: Espanyol – Girona on matchday 20
The start of this new era will come with a Catalan derby. Espanyol - GironaThe match, corresponding to Matchday 20 of LaLiga EA Sports and marking the start of the second half of the season, will be the first match broadcast on free-to-air television via Teledeporte. The game is scheduled for Friday, January 16nd at 21:00 PM, prime time to open the series of broadcasts.
For the fans, this means that the return of top-flight football to RTVE is not just a symbolic announcement: starting this matchday there will be a specific match available on DTTThe network's advertisement, with a voiceover inviting viewers to "open their eyes to top-flight football," specifically positions the Espanyol-Girona match as the starting point of this new era.
From a sporting perspective, it's a match with added incentives. The home side arrives needing to get back on track after... a defeat against FC Barcelona and a draw against LevanteGirona, meanwhile, arrives at the derby in positive momentum after stringing together victories against Mallorca and Osasuna. Beyond the statistics, the match will serve as a showcase for the new free-to-air broadcasting platform.
For those unable to travel to the RCDE Stadium, the televised match takes on special importance. After a period in which top-flight matches They could not be viewed without a subscription or without going through OTT platformsThe possibility of following this clash for free on digital terrestrial television represents a significant change in the fan experience.
From DAZN to Teledeporte: what changes to watch the game on free-to-air TV
Until now, the weekly free-to-air LaLiga EA Sports match was broadcast on DAZN. The platform streaming, one of the main holders of the championship's audiovisual rights, offered a match at no extra cost, but demanded be registered on their serviceAlthough access did not involve a monthly fee, it did require creating an account and consuming the content through the application or the web version.
With the match now broadcast on Teledeporte, the model is simplified. Access to each matchday's game becomes as direct as... Turn on the television and select the channelWithout prior registration, without forms, and without needing a stable broadband connection. For many households, especially those less digitized or with poor internet access, the change is significant.
That doesn't mean DAZN is disappearing. According to LaLiga's own schedule, the platform The match remains on free-to-air television.For now, at least, users who were already accustomed to watching it that way will continue to have that option available. What's being added now is a completely television-based alternative, which expands the range of possibilities for watching football for free.
The new cast fits into the context created after the closure of the Gol channel, which for years was the benchmark of league match on free-to-air televisionWith its disappearance, the free-to-air window fell to DAZN, but always linked to the OTT environment. RTVE's entry brings back to the television ecosystem an element that many fans missed: league matches accessible without digital intermediaries.
The key, therefore, lies not only in the free access, which already existed in DAZN's proposal, but in the consumption modelThe return to digital terrestrial television (DTT) allows the match to be viewed on any conventional television, even in second homes or in homes without a satellite dish. Smart TVprovided that terrestrial signal coverage is available.
How long will LaLiga be shown on Teledeporte?
One of the biggest unknowns is the exact duration of the agreement between RTVE and the platform that holds the main rights. At the time the commercial and the first reports were released, Not all the contractual details have been disclosed.Various sources indicate that the agreement would be valid, at least, for the remainder of the 2025/2026 season.
The public broadcaster has not yet published a press release with the details of the agreement, so The total number of days covered is not known precisely. nor the possible conditions for future seasons. It is taken for granted, however, that the agreement was reached in collaboration with DAZN, which had been managing the free-to-air broadcast of the match after Gol's demise.
While further clarifications are pending, what is tangible for the fan is that, from matchday 20 onwards, there will be a First Division match on free-to-air television every weekend through Teledeporte. RTVE itself has left the door open to expanding the information "as details are finalized," so adjustments or expansions are not ruled out depending on how the relationship with the other rights holders evolves.
In any case, it is expected that the agreement will remain in place, at the very least. until the end of the current league seasonIn that scenario, the public broadcaster would regain a regular presence of the League on its schedule, something that has not been seen continuously on state television for many years, beyond occasional experiences or isolated seasons.
A return with a historic flavor for public television
To understand the significance of this movement, it is worth remembering that TVE was for decades the home of free-to-air La Liga football.Since the 1960s, the public channel broadcast matches regularly each day, in an era before the current fragmentation and competition from private operators or pay services existed.
That landscape changed with the arrival of pay television and the reorganization of audiovisual rights. As pay platforms gained prominence, The free-to-air league match was losing ground. on public television, it practically disappeared as a regular offering. With the exception of a few specific seasons, fans had become accustomed to associating the league championship with private broadcasters and specialized channels.
The current announcement represents a return, at least in part, to that tradition. Teledeporte, RTVE's sports channel, will become the new go-to platform for this weekly match, taking on a role previously held by Gol and, in a very different era, by La 1. Although the media landscape is now much more complex, the idea of a league match “for everyone” is present again.
At the same time, this step reinforces RTVE's image as an operator that combines big sporting events of national teams, international competitions and national tournaments. The corporation already held the rights to events such as the World Cup, the European Championship and the Olympic Games, and domestically it had regained strength with the Copa del Rey and various women's football and Second Division content in previous periods.
RTVE's global commitment to football: Copa del Rey and more
The return of LaLiga EA Sports to free-to-air digital terrestrial television (DTT) is not an isolated event. RTVE has been strengthening its football portfolio with the acquisition of a large package of Copa del Rey matchesUnder the commercial name Copa del Rey MAPFRE for this season, the public corporation has the broadcasting and audiovisual exploitation rights for up to 116 matches.
This agreement allows them to broadcast the most exciting matches of each round across their various channels, from the early knockout stages to the later phases of the tournament. One of the standout broadcasts this season is the Round of 16 match between Albacete and Real Madrid, scheduled to be broadcast on La 1 during prime time.
The combination of the Copa del Rey and the LaLiga EA Sports free-to-air match consolidates a programming in which Spanish football has a very significant presence. For the viewer, this translates into More options to follow national competitions at no extra cost, both on weekdays and weekends, with public television as the central focus.
Furthermore, the strategy fits with the RTVE's stated commitment to offering content of general interest that reach the largest possible number of citizens. Football remains a powerful audience draw and an element of social cohesion, so bringing back major matches to free-to-air television is also seen as a way to reinforce its public service function.
This approach comes after the network stopped broadcasting, for example, the free-to-air match on Ten from the Men's Second Division and the Women's First Division. With the new rights package, the corporation is refocusing its strategy and placing its emphasis on the Men's First Division and the King's Cup as central pieces of their football offering for the current season.
Looking at the whole picture, the return of LaLiga EA Sports to free-to-air television via Teledeporte, coupled with the extensive coverage of the Copa del Rey, paints a picture in which Public television regains specific weight in the audiovisual landscape of Spanish football.Fans, clubs and advertisers once again find in RTVE a massive window for the big matches, with an access model based on DTT and free access for the viewer.
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