La Liga is the first major European sports competition to join Twitch

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In recent weeks, La Liga has become the first major European sports competition to create an account on video live streaming service Twitch.

Twitch, a subsidiary of tech giant Amazon, is a well-known platform generally used to live stream gaming and Esports.

However, it continues to expand its online presence and is becoming increasingly attractive for users to consume sporting content on the service.

To cater for this, the company created a sports category a few months ago on its platform, to direct users easily to all sporting streams.

Each of those clubs have their own channel to publish exclusive content on the site, including press conferences, friendlies and youth team matches.

Since signing up for Twitch, La Liga have started to produce varying content on their channel, including a weekly series of compilations, clips and special programmes that feature players, ambassadors and icons of the competition.

In the build-up to the ElClásico match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid the other week, Esports simulations, profiles, debates and live warm-ups were featured on the La Liga account.

Scheduled programming of new original La Liga shows have also been broadcast on the video streaming service.

This includes anchor shows produced by La Liga North America, such as matchday review show ‘La Liga Zone’ and the shorter ‘One minute with La Liga’, which are hosted by recognised talent in English and Spanish languages.

Other short and long-form programming will be shown in the coming weeks, featuring special interviews with top athletes.

As the competition continues its partnership with the streaming service, La Liga will continue to work on developing new collaboration opportunities and experiences for the Twitch community.

Farhan Ahmed, Strategic Partnerships Manager at Twitch, is looking forward to working further with the Spanish league.

“LaLiga’s approach to this collaboration, built around enhancing the fan experience through unique content, is innovative, exciting and impactful. We can’t wait to see how the community of superfans continue to interact and immerse themselves in this content.”

Before opening an official channel for the competition on Twitch, the league had already built a strong following through its eLaLiga Esports account.

That account has just under 40,000 followers, with regular videos and tournaments of professional gamers playing FIFA 21 streamed on the channel.

The #eLaLigaAllStar tournament was a high-impact event on the Twitch platform in recent months, resonating with the platform’s community. The event featured leading gamers who were celebrating the return of the league’s official Esports competition, eLaLiga Santander.

It’s most important event, however, was in March of this year. At a time when the world was struggling with the coronavirus pandemic, eLaLiga organised the #LaLigaSantanderChallenge.

Alongside Spanish gamer Ibai Llanos, an 18-club tournament was created, with real-life stars from La Liga clubs competing in the event to raise funds to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Llanos, who has 3.4 million followers on Twitch, believed the event was a major success.

“We tried to do it the best way we could to raise as much money as possible. It was a success, because it was something unique,” he explained to Red Bull.

“A lot of people have seen the human side of the players and many players told me they wanted to repeat the experience, but I would like to leave it like this. Maybe we could do something else at a later date, because the state of alarm is going to last a long time. The players and the clubs are happy with the result and they would like to continue.”

Alfredo Bermejo, La Liga’s director of digital strategy, hopes to build on initiatives like this and continue to improve the league’s social media operations through Twitch.

“As a global entertainment brand, La Liga aims to offer the best product in the world,” he said.

“After the good experience with eLaLiga Santander, the official LaLiga account on Twitch is an opportunity to take the next step in our content and social media strategy. Twitch is a service that allows us to reach a new type of audience and explore new content formats to reach our global fanbase.”

As Twitch continues to make significant leaps in the sporting market, La Liga will not be the only major football league joining the platform.

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Project ACL: The initiative leading the way on injury research

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Image credit: FiledIMAGE / Shutterstock.com

Launched in 2024, the research project recently welcomed two US-based organisations: the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA) and National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

 

About Project ACL

Led by FIFPRO, PFA England, Nike and Leeds Beckett University, Project ACL aims to research ACL injuries and understand more about multifactorial risk factors.

After piloting in England’s Women’s Super League (WSL), Project ACL will expand to the NWSL in the US, reflecting the global importance of the project’s research and outcome.

“We are incredibly excited to bring the NWSLPA and NWSL to Project ACL,” said Director of Women’s Football at FIFPRO, Dr. Alex Culvin, via official press release.

“Overall, we believe that player-centricity and collaboration with key stakeholders are central to establishing meaningful change in the soccer ecosystem and that players, competition organisers and stakeholdersaround the world will benefit from Project ACL’s outputs and outcomes.”

Interviews with over 30 players and team surveys across all 12 WSL clubs provided the project’s research team with valuable information about current prevention strategies and available resources.

Furthermore, the project tracks player workload and busy schedule periods during the season through the FIFPRO Player Workload Monitoring tool, therefore gaining insights into the link between scheduling and injury risks.

 

Looking to the data

Project ACL’s partnerships with the WSL – and now the NWSL – are immensely valuable for the future of player welfare in women’s football.

Although ACL injuries affect both male and female athletes, they are twice as likely to occur in women than men. However, according to the NWSL, as little as 8% of sports science research focuses on female athletes.

In Australia, several CommBank Matildas suffered ACL injuries in recent years: Sam Kerr was sidelined from January 2024 to September 2025, Ellie Carpenter for 8 months after suffering the injury while playing for Olympique Lyonnais, and Holly McNamara came back from three ACL’s aged 15, 18 and 20.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. The 2025/26 ALW season saw several ACL incidents, including four in just two weeks.

 

Research, prevent, protect

Injury prevention and research are vital to sport – whether professional or amateur.

But when the numbers are so shocking – and incidents are so common – governing bodies must remember that player welfare comes above all else. Research can inform prevention strategies. Prevention means players can enjoy the game they love.

The work of Project ACL, continuing until 2027, will hopefully protect countless players across women’s football from suffering long-term or recurring injuries.

How Husqvarna Is Helping Stadiums Cut Costs Without Cutting Quality

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Image Credit: Husqvarna

At a time when operational costs are rising across global sport, stadiums and football clubs are being forced to rethink one of their most overlooked expenses: turf maintenance.

From diesel consumption to labour hours, maintaining elite playing surfaces has traditionally been both resource-intensive and environmentally taxing. But new data emerging from venues like CBUS Super Stadium suggests a smarter, more sustainable model is already taking hold.

Leading that shift is Husqvarna, whose autonomous turf technology is quietly reshaping how professional venues manage their playing surfaces. Their product delivers measurable cost savings without compromising quality.

Cutting fuel consumption costs

At CBUS Super Stadium, the introduction of Husqvarna’s CEORA™ robotic mowing system has reduced diesel usage by approximately 20–30 litres per week. Over the course of a season, those savings compound into a significant reduction in both fuel spend and carbon emissions. This is particularly efficient for stadiums hosting regular fixtures and large-scale events.

CBUS Super Stadium General Manager Kristian Blundell said the robotic mower was a game-changer for the venue:

“This technology is not replacing staff but rather giving our grounds team the ability to do what they do best by helping to improve turf management processes, better manage fatigue and decrease our environmental footprint”

But the impact goes beyond fuel.

 

Time efficiency

By automating routine mowing, Husqvarna’s technology enables grounds teams to focus on higher-value maintenance tasks, from pitch recovery to detailed surface management. The result is not only greater operational efficiency but also improved turf consistency, which is an increasingly critical factor in elite football performance.

The benefits are being mirrored beyond stadium environments. At Oatlands Golf Club, Husqvarna’s autonomous mowing has delivered savings of up to 60 litres of fuel per week while freeing up staff for precision work. Quiet, round-the-clock operation also ensures surfaces are maintained without disrupting play—an advantage that translates directly to multi-use stadium settings.

Image Credit: Husqvarna

Importantly, Husqvarna’s lightweight robotic systems reduce the wear and tear typically caused by traditional heavy machinery. This not only protects the integrity of the playing surface but also reduces the need for costly repairs over time.

Football clubs navigating tight budgets at grassroots and semi-professional levels could benefit from such cost savings.

With rising energy prices, increasing sustainability expectations, and limited staffing resources, the ability to cut costs while improving performance is no longer optional. Solutions like Husqvarna’s CEORA™ are positioning clubs to operate more efficiently today, while preparing for a more environmentally accountable future.

As the sports industry continues to evolve, one thing is becoming clear: the next competitive edge may not just come from what happens on the pitch—but how it’s maintained.

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