ITV has sublicensed the UK broadcast rights in a three year deal running until the end of the 2024-25 season.
A pick of ten La Liga games per season will be broadcast on either ITV or ITV4. Viewers will be able to watch games live online through the ITV Hub/ITVX.
ITV’s first LaLiga match will be Real Sociedad v FC Barcelona on Sunday 21st August 2022. Coverage will begin on ITV4 at 8:30pm, with kick-off at 9:00pm.
ITV’s matches will also be available on Premier Sports and La Liga TV – the primary UK broadcast rights holders. Premier Sports and La Liga TV will show every available live game. From later this year, La Liga coverage is due to become available on Viaplay, which recently bought Premier Sports.
Niall Sloane, ITV Director of Sport, said:
“This deal ensures free to air coverage for all football fans of one of the most entertaining leagues in the world. The deal with Premier Sports will give fans the chance to see some of the most iconic clubs and world-class players in action, live on ITV.”
ITV previously stepped in as the free-to-air home of La Liga in 2019. That was when the Spanish league’s UK TV deal with Eleven Sports fell flat, leaving others to pick up the rights.
Months later, Premier Sports acquired the rights, choosing to use its free-to-air offshoot FreeSports for any free coverage. That arrangement came to an end at the end of the 2021-22 season, ahead of FreeSports dropping off Freeview. Premier Sports has also withdrawn La Liga TV from Sky and Virgin Media.
In July, Viaplay announced it was buying Premier Sports ahead of launching its streaming service in the UK this autumn.