DAZN and Movistar share the rights to LaLiga: this is how the new television football landscape looks

The call LaLiga TV rights saga By the end of the decade, the story has already reached its conclusion, and the roles are once again filled by the same protagonists. Movistar Plus+ and DAZN will continue to be the major pay-TV football operators in Spain, with a new agreement that reinforces the current model, introduces relevant nuances, and consolidates a highly concentrated market.

The employers' association that he chairs Javier Tebas has closed the marketing of the residential package LaLiga EA Sports has signed a record-breaking deal for the 2027/28-2031/32 period: €5.250 billion for the five seasons. The contract entails a 6% increase over the current cycle and is complemented by strong growth in revenue from bars, the Second Division and free-to-air rights, which boosts the total value of domestic rights to 6.135 billion.

Rights allocation: five matches on Movistar, five on DAZN

The core of the agreement lies in the fact that Movistar Plus+ and DAZN maintain the equal sharing model.Each platform will have assigned five matches per day LaLiga EA Sports will broadcast all five seasons of the new cycle. In total, each operator will have exclusive rights to 190 matches per season, one for each of the 38 matchdays.

The big news is that The exclusivity of three full days disappears that Movistar had in its current contract. Until the 2026/27 season, the Spanish operator combines five matches per matchday with three dates on which it broadcasts the entire league schedule, while DAZN broadcasts another five matches per matchday without those exclusive windows. From 2027 onwards, The distribution becomes symmetrical and without solo days for anyone.

Under this new scheme, each successful bidder will be able to first choose the most attractive match in 19 matchdays of the season. The distribution of the Clásico will follow an alternating pattern: DAZN will broadcast the Real Madrid-Barcelona match from the first half of the season. y Movistar Plus+ will have the rights to the second-round matchThe final configuration ensures that, day by day, half of the offer is on each platform, without a single actor concentrating the entire product.

For subscribers, the practical effect is that the map of football on television in Spain will remain the same. structured around two major operatorsMovistar Plus+ will continue negotiating with DAZN to acquire some of its matches in order to offer 100% of LaLiga to its customers, as is already the case in the current cycle, while DAZN consolidates its role as reference platform for those who prefer a proposal more focused on the streaming sports.

Agreement figures: 6% more for LaLiga EA Sports and a 9% total increase

In economic terms, the leap is significant. The value of the LaLiga EA Sports residential package amounts to 5.250 billion euros for the 2027/28-2031/32 cycle, compared to 4.950 billion for the 2022/23-2026/27 period. This translates to 1.050 billion euros per season, a figure that allows LaLiga to finally surpass the one billion euro mark per season that it was close to in the previous contract.

Telefónica, through Movistar Plus+, will disburse around 2.635,85 million euros for the entire cycle, which equates to an average payment of 527,17 million per season. The company has emphasized that, in its case, The increase compared to the current contract is 1,4%., below the overall increase agreed by LaLiga.

DAZN, for its part, is more clearly increasing its financial commitment. The new agreement involves an outlay of 2.614,15 million euros in five seasons, about 522 million annually. That bill represents an increase of approximately 11% compared to the 470 million per campaign which now pays for its LaLiga EA Sports matches, reflecting the greater amount of exclusive content it will enjoy from 2027 onwards.

If, in addition to the residential package, income from bars and public establishments, the Second Division, and free-to-air matches and summaries are included, The total value of LaLiga's domestic audiovisual rights will reach 6.135 billion euros in the new cycle. It's 9% more than in the previous agreement, which translates to More than 500 million additional euros for Spanish professional football throughout the period 2027/28-2031/32.

These figures place LaLiga in an intermediate position within the European market. The Premier League, for example, recently finalized a domestic contract for the period 2025-2029 worth around €7.600-7.800 billion, with approximately 1.950 million per seasonThis is well above the Spanish figure. In Italy, the current Serie A agreement stands at around 900 million annually, slightly below the previous cycle, while the Bundesliga has achieved a slight increase of approximately 2% to 1.100 billion per season.

HORECA, Second Division and free-to-air rights: the other pillars of the business

Beyond the large package of the First Division, LaLiga has achieved broaden the value of complementary categories related to audiovisual exploitation. One of the fastest growing segments is the so-called HORECA sector, which includes bars, restaurants, and other public establishments that broadcast the matches for their customers.

In this area, the Spanish football employers' association estimates that Revenue will increase from 500 to approximately 650 million euros in the new cycle, which it involves an increase in 30%The presence of football in the hospitality industry is thus consolidated as a key source of income, both for the competition itself and for the operators that market these specific signals.

LaLiga Hypermotion, the commercial name for the Second Division, is also experimenting a notable increase in its valuationThe audiovisual package for the silver category is revalued from 125 million in the current cycle to around 175 million eurosThis represents a growth of nearly 40%. This boost helps to ease the financial burden on clubs for whom Television rights represent, in some cases, up to 80% of their income annually.

In parallel, the rights to broadcast the match on free-to-air television, including highlights and video clips Together they amount to around 60 million euros. Although this is a smaller fraction compared to the bulk of the residential contract, these windows maintain free visibility for some of the league content and reinforce the competition's global reach.

LaLiga reminds that These packages -HORECA, Second Class and open rights- are marketed directlyOn a non-exclusive basis and without a formal bidding process like the one used in the residential market, this provides flexibility to reach agreements with different operators, adapt to the market context, and maximize revenue in each segment.

Telefónica: all national and European football in its premium offer

For Telefónica, the new contract with LaLiga is another piece of a global strategy to protect its sports catalogMovistar Plus+ had been making it clear for months that its objective was to continue offering as much football as possible to its subscribers, and the renewal of the LaLiga EA Sports rights fits with that roadmap.

The company, chaired by Marc Murtra, has recently achieved to secure exclusive rights to all UEFA club competitions in Spain until 2031The agreement, valued at approximately €1.464 billion, includes the Champions League, the Europa League, the Conference League, the Youth League, and the UEFA Super Cup. This allows the telecommunications operator to retain these competitions in its programming lineup. the “crown jewel” of European football.

If the new contract with LaLiga is added, Movistar Plus+ is guaranteed that its premium customers will have access to virtually all of the top national and international footballIn addition, there is the traditional possibility of reselling these rights to other operators, such as MasOrange, which in recent years has bought back the football package in exchange for a bill that has been set at up to 400 million euros per season, according to various industry estimates.

This scheme strengthens Telefónica's role as leading wholesale supplier in the televised football business in Spain. The other operators interested in offering LaLiga and the Champions League to their customers must, in practice, “pay up” and acquire the product from the company, which strengthens the Movistar-DAZN duopoly in the content field, with Telefónica also as a dominant player in resale.

Even so, the operator insists that, despite the increased costs, the new cycle maintains a moderate rise for their own accountsThe €527,17 million per season that LaLiga will pay represents a smaller increase than the overall growth of the competition's revenue, allowing it to have room to continue offering convergent packages and promotions to its customers.

DAZN reinforces its commitment to Spain and expands its exclusive package

For DAZN, the agreement means a step forward in consolidating their project in the Spanish marketThe British-based platform had been bidding hard for top-level rights for several seasons and, with this new cycle, is gaining weight within LaLiga's audiovisual ecosystem.

By gaining exclusive access to 190 matches per season, the company ensures More attractive encounters to integrate into your catalogThe fact that the three full matchdays previously held by Movistar have been eliminated and replaced by a completely balanced distribution gives DAZN an advantage. More broadcast windows and greater visibility throughout the year.

The increase in its bill to the aforementioned 522 million annually fits with a broader strategy of accumulating sports rightsIn recent months, the platform has acquired competitions such as the ACB, the NBA, the NFL, and Formula 1—the latter guaranteed at least until 2026—which reinforces its position as a specialized service for those who primarily consume sports online. streaming.

Óscar Vilda, CEO of DAZN Iberia, has emphasized that the renewal of LaLiga's rights will allow them offer more matches and continue working on a flexible and accessible experience For fans. The company's message is in line with maintaining an offering adapted to new digital consumption habits, with adjustable subscription options and a prominent presence on connected devices.

The alliance with LaLiga also extends beyond Spanish borders, as DAZN is listed as a strategic partner in numerous international markets. where it distributes, partially or fully, European football competitions. The renewal of its role in Spain strengthens this global network and provides the project with a solid foundation in one of the continent's most important leagues.

The role of the CNMC and the debate on the duration of contracts

The signing of the new contract between LaLiga, Movistar Plus+ and DAZN takes place under the watchful eye of the regulatorsThe National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) had recently warned the employers' association about the advisability of do not excessively extend the duration of the agreements and to avoid structures that could limit competition in the audiovisual market.

Despite these recommendations, LaLiga has opted for a five-season cyclesimilar to the existing one. The employers' association argues that a long-term horizon It provides stability and certainty for both operators and clubs, facilitating the planning of investments in content, technology and infrastructure.

From a competition perspective, the practical result is that a very marked duopoly is maintained in the exploitation of the LaLiga EA Sports rights in Spain, with Telefónica and DAZN as the sole winners of the residential package. Although the possible entry of other players was considered, such as Amazon Prime Video, ultimately there has been no change in the distribution of power.

LaLiga itself argues that its marketing model, based on the centralized sale of rights, has been validated on several occasions by the authorities and emphasizes that the HORECA, Second Division and summary packages are offered on a non-exclusive basis, which, in his opinion, softens the impact of the concentration on the residential market.

Even so, it is not ruled out that the CNMC will return to analyze the terms of the agreement in detailEspecially regarding the duration, the degree of effective exclusivity, and clauses that could affect the entry of new competitors. For users, the immediate effect is that the televised football landscape will not undergo any drastic changes, at least in the medium term, but the debate about market structure will remain ongoing.

LaLiga boasts of growth and aims to fight piracy

From an institutional point of view, LaLiga has not hidden their satisfaction with the figures for the new cycleJavier Tebas has highlighted that, in a complex international environment where other leagues have seen the value of their rights fall or stagnate, Spanish professional football achieves a combined growth of 9% in their domestic income.

The president of the employers' association believes that these more than An additional 500 million euros compared to the previous cycle are a “Excellent news for the economic sustainability of the clubs” And for the future of Spanish football, a stable flow of resources is guaranteed until the 2031/32 season. In his speech, Tebas insists that the increase consolidates LaLiga's position in all-time highs despite the growing competition from the new Champions League and other European competitions.

Among the key factors in that result, LaLiga points out the constant improvement of the audiovisual productWith investments in technology, production, and graphics aimed at making matches more appealing to fans, this strategy includes club involvement in content creation, intensive use of statistics and new camera angles, and the introduction of complementary digital formats.

Another pillar highlighted by the organization is the comprehensive fight against audiovisual piracyAccording to the employers' association, legal and technological efforts to combat illegal emissions have contributed to protect operators' revenue This will strengthen the credibility of the ecosystem, encouraging the use of official services and expanding the user base of the platforms.

LaLiga also highlights the anticipation of the new UEFA contextwhich has reconfigured the Champions League from 2027 onwards with more matches and a revamped format. Bringing forward the tend According to the employers' association, LaLiga would have allowed avoid the negative impact that other European championships have suffered precisely because they coincide in There with the sale of the new European rights.

Internal votes, Real Madrid against and reaction from the clubs

The agreement with Telefónica and DAZN was submitted to voting in the LaLiga television oversight bodyThis body, which includes clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Atlético de Madrid, and Osasuna, among others, is responsible for evaluating the proposals received and deciding which option is most suitable for all the participating clubs.

On this occasion, Real Madrid cast one vote against of the award, maintaining the critical stance it has shown in other matters related to LaLiga's management. Real Madrid publicly expressed its disagreement, although The rest of the members voted in favorendorsing the proposal that has finally gone ahead.

Atlético de Madrid, on the other hand, congratulated LaLiga on the outcome of the process, considering the agreement It brings stability and visibility to Spanish football. looking ahead to the coming years. A significant number of clubs in the First and Second Divisions have welcomed with relief the confirmation that their television revenues will be [unclear - possibly "reported" or "reported"]. They will continue to grow in a still uncertain economic scenario.

For many teams, especially those without large sponsorship deals or multi-million dollar player sales, Audiovisual rights account for more than 60% of its resources annual. The continuation of an increasing contract allows them to maintain medium and long-term sports and infrastructure projects, although the debate about internal distribution and the gap between the clubs with greater media appeal and the rest also continues.

The approval of the new cycle does not therefore close, all internal discussionsHowever, it does guarantee a relatively predictable economic framework until 2032. In parallel, clubs will continue to analyze how to maximize their income in other areas, from international sponsorship to the commercial exploitation of their brands, so as not to depend solely on television.

With this scenario, Spanish football faces the coming years with Two major operators - Movistar Plus+ and DAZN - as pillars of the television businessA contract that grows in value despite external competition and a model that prioritizes stability over the next five years. The combination of moderate revenue growth, duopoly consolidation, and a strengthened audiovisual product paints a picture in which fans, clubs, and platforms will continue to closely monitor how prices, offers, and audiences evolve in an increasingly demanding market.

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Isaac

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