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Spain’s top-flight football league, LaLiga, got its new season off to an action-packed start last month. The league's fanbase stretches across the globe, and those in India can catch all the matches on LaLiga's broadcast partner Viacom18's platforms, including Sports18, Voot Select, and JioTV.
Select matches will also be shown live on MTV. With several games featuring special India-focused kick-offs, the season has already grabbed the eyeballs of fans across the country.
A season kick-off held on August 7, 2022 in Mumbai was attended by Mr. Jose Antonio Cachaza, Managing Director, LaLiga India; Aakriti Vohra, LaLiga Global Network Delegate, India; and Siddharth Sharma, Executive Vice President, Viacom18 Sports. Also present, virtually, at the season kick-off was Mr. Carlos Santamarina, Head of Tata Academy, Atletico de Madrid, and he spoke about their plans for the Indian market.
The 2022-23 season is the second one on Viacom18 and the broadcaster, yet again, came out strong with on-air programming initiatives and promotions to further improve the viewing experience for Indian fans. They have come up with #WhyWatchAnythingElse, the new campaign for this season, and Football Goal'd, a weekly football round-up show, with the intention of providing the best experience yet for fans in the country.
LaLiga held a press conference in collaboration with Viacom18. The delegates addressed questions posed by Sportskeeda's journalists and shed light on the merger's objectives in India.
LaLiga India x Viacom18 press conference
Q. A significant chunk of Indians like Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and losing them both in the last five years was a major setback for both teams and viewers. Do you think LaLiga has rebounded since the arrival of Lewandoski and the brilliance of Karim Benzema, and how much impact did it have on LaLiga viewership in India?
Jose Antonio Cachaza: Despite the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have massive status in Europe, they are not bigger than clubs. Many world-class players have played here and left, including Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Kaka, Raul, and Figo, but their views remain the same. Barcelona and Real Madrid have popular players like Lewandowski and Benzema, so big players move around, but viewership doesn't change.
Q. LaLiga fan experiences have been increasing, such as the "Local Clasico" between fans of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. How is this affecting the interest of people in LaLiga?
Jose Antonio Cachaza: Next month, we hope to share some good news with Indian fans regarding the next Clasico. For the time being, let me hold on to something that is going to be interesting for the fans.
Q. As the league strives to continue its international growth and compete with the Premier League, it has announced a new joint venture with Galaxy Racer to expand its presence in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Indian subcontinent. What is your vision for LaLiga in India with this deal in full effect?
Jose Antonio Cachaza: This is a long-term agreement, primarily focused on the African and Middle Eastern markets, which are much bigger in terms of revenue than the Indian market. However, Galaxy Racer is very interested in expanding into the Indian market as the CEO and Founder is an Indian national. Basically, we can expect to see more investment in the region. Similar to the joint venture we have for the United States and Mexican markets, which is working really well, we will see long-term changes. Galaxy Racers are fantastic at connecting with everyone digitally, which is what we need.
Q. As we know that LaLiga in India has seen an increase in social audiences at 2000%, how much impact has a broadcast partnership with Viacom18 had on that increase?
Jose Antonio Cachaza: The bottom line is, broadcasters won't invest in you unless you provide them with a quality product. The first step is to make sure that the product is good. Younger generations are increasingly consuming football on digital platforms and have a strong presence there - that's the key. OTT is here to stay, and we want to give fans more than just games.
