Spanish soccer’s top-tier LaLiga has selected Host Broadcast Services (HBS) and Telefonica Services Audiovisuales (TSA) as production partners for its top two divisions for the next five seasons.
The league unveiled today that following a selection process that began last September, its management control body for audiovisual rights has ratified the appointment of those new partners. They will be in position from the start of the 2025-26 season to the end of the 2029-30 campaign – taking over from Mediapro, the incumbent production partner.
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Out of a total of five lots available, HBS (which alongside Italian broadcast production firm NVP will form a joint venture with LaLiga) has been selected as the production company for LaLiga and the Segunda Division, (lots 1 and 2), as well as MCR and centralized services (lot 3).
This is added to HBS’ current stable of top-tier soccer production rights – as an example, the firm has been the host broadcast partner of every FIFA World Cup national team competition since 2002 and has also had similar partnerships covering the European UEFA Champions League, as well as the African Cup of Nations.
Outside of soccer, meanwhile, the firm – last October – unveiled an extension of its deal with the World Rugby governing body through 2029.
TSA, meanwhile, has secured rights to lot 4 – contribution and distribution – “given its key technical expertise in the international communications sector.”
TSA has experience across competitions such as Spanish soccer’s knockout Copa del Rey tournament (run by the national soccer federation), as well as the Olympic Games.
Lot 5, meanwhile, covers the generation of content, and has been left unallocated after LaLiga assessed the offers received. Therefore, the league has said those services will be integrated “with other content projects that LaLiga must contract,” which were not involved in this tender.
The entire selection process has involved Abacanto, an audiovisual technology consultancy, which has been evaluating the applications on a technical basis.
The Spanish league has said the evaluation involved analysis of “technical, operational, and economic aspects,” with the companies selected having achieved the highest scores across all criteria added together.
LaLiga has claimed the overall process “reinforces its innovation and continuous improvement in audiovisual production.”
Dan Miodownik, HBS chief executive, has commented: "We are very proud of our track record globally, and entering a new territory and partnership with such an esteemed client is an exciting opportunity. Along with NVP, we look forward to working with LaLiga to bring innovative and engaging coverage to audiences over the coming years."
The league is currently conducting multiple media rights tenders for the next cycle – early March saw processes begin in three major markets: Belgium and Luxembourg, the DACH countries (Austria, Germany, Switzerland), Luxembourg and Liechtenstein, and the UK and Ireland.
Mediapro still holds international distribution rights for the league, through 2028-29 (although that deal does exclude North America, the Middle East, and North Africa).
