Not even Barcelona’s Lionel Messi can attract UK buyers for La Liga rights
Spanish top flight fails to find a home for its UK and Ireland broadcasting rights
Madrid: La Liga has failed to find a home for its UK and Ireland broadcasting rights, less than a month before the season kicks off.
La Liga, which plays host to some of the world’s top players including Lionel Messi and Eden Hazard, has issued a note withdrawing its invitation to tender offers. Broadcasters had been invited to bid for the UK and Ireland rights earlier this month, with offers due by July 25.
“After assessing all bids and required additional documentation from participating bidders, La Liga has declared the tender null and void because no satisfactory bids were received,” Joris Evers, head of communications for the league, said in a written response to a question. “La Liga thanks all participants in the tender for their interest and shall inform soon about next steps.”
The Spanish football season is set to begin on August 16, with reigning champions Barcelona taking on Athletic Bilbao.
La Liga rights for the region used to be held by Sky Sports before Eleven Sports secured a three-year deal in 2018. The online streaming service had to renegotiate its agreement with the Spanish league after failing to get enough subscribers last December.