Eleven usurps Sky to take La Liga rights for UK and Ireland

Sports broadcaster Eleven Sports has secured live and exclusive rights to Spanish La Liga football in the UK and Ireland, usurping previous rights holder Sky.

The partnership will begin from the start of the 2018-19 season and will run for three years until the end of the 2020-21 season.

The broadcaster will announce details in the coming weeks about the ways in which it will package and distribute La Liga matches. Eleven also holds La Liga rights in Belgium and Poland.

The UK and Ireland rights were previously held by Sky for two decades. Sky most recently renewed its deal in 2015, covering the period up to the end of the current season.

“We are proud to build on our existing relationship with LaLiga, this time in the UK, one of the most passionate football countries in the world where Spanish football has significant appeal. This is an incredibly exciting time for our young and dynamic company and we will announce soon how we will introduce innovative ways for dedicated fans to watch and engage in the live action. The way people, especially young people, watch live sport is changing and we always try to reflect that in the ways we make our product available. We are excited about the opportunities we have to do this in the UK and Ireland.” said Marc Watson, executive chairman and group CEO, Eleven Sports.

“Eleven Sports are an excellent partner for us in various markets across Europe and we are delighted to have the opportunity to work with them in the UK and Ireland – important markets for us in which LaLiga is very popular,” said Javier Tebas, president, La Liga.

“We have worked very hard to promote the excellence of LaLiga in the UK and Ireland and we are confident that Eleven Sports will help us to grow and innovate our brand in the market for years to come.”