Soccer is the most followed sport on Facebook, and at a time when the company is doing more with sports partnerships, LaLiga is the latest league to offer matches on Facebook Live for users in Spain. That’s no accident, of course, as LaLiga is in fact a pioneer in using Facebook Live.
LaLiga and MEDIAPRO, which has the international rights to the league, announced last month that matches held on Fridays for the rest of the season would be able to be viewed for free in Spain on the Facebook pages of LaLiga and GOL in addition to the television broadcasts.
The announcement, which came four days after Univision announced that select Liga MX matches would be streamed on Facebook Live in English for users in the U.S., came on a Friday when Granada CF played against Real Bettis. Las Palmas faced Real Sociedad last Friday, and then on a Tuesday, Real Bettis was featured again on Facebook Live with a match against Malaga.
LaLiga had been well aware of the power of streaming games on Facebook. It reported that 2.5 million streamed the Copa del Rey match between Atlético Madrid and FC Barcelona on Facebook, with viewers following along from 45 countries. That included two million from Europe, 250,000 from the Americas and 146,000 in Asia and Oceania. LiLiga proceeded to enable a worldwide Facebook audience to view Real Club Celta de Vigo and Deportivo Alavés.
LaLiga first dipped its toes into Facebook Live last May, partnering with beIN SPORTS to deliver a women’s match between Atlético de Madrid Femenino and Athletic Club in a stream that drew more than 370,000 unique users in Spain and worldwide audience that was not subjected to geoblocking. It was believed to be the second soccer match to ever be streamed on Facebook Live.
Now, LaLiga is all in on Facebook Live.
