Telefonica re-purchases LaLiga domestic broadcast rights in substantial deal

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LaLiga confirmed that Telefonica take domestic LaLiga rights commitment back to the end of 2026-27. Telefonica will pay €1.29 billion ($2.12 billion AUD) for the next three and a half seasons and will continue to share domestic rights with streaming giant DAZN.

Telefonica will cover five of the 10 LaLiga games per week, across the latter half of 2024-25 and each of the next two campaigns in full. It will also cover three full game weeks in each of 2025-26 and 2026-27.

In 2021, the broadcaster was awarded five seasons of coverage from 2022/23 to 2026/27. However, at the end of last year La Liga put half of its package up for auction. This happened after an the CNMC, the Spanish competition regulator, urged La Liga to cut the contract by this season’s end.

This has obviously reversed with the telecommunications company successfully re-purchasing the rights after going through a lengthy process which adds the league to its existing UEFA competitions exclusive deal in Spain.

Telefónica stated in a media release:

“With this (deal), Telefónica consolidates its football offer, so that customers of Movistar Plus+ will continue to enjoy 100 per cent of the League matches as well as UEFA Competitions until 2027.”

“The re-purchasing of rights is vital for Telefonica’s vision of being a long-term broadcaster of this league.”

LaLiga have shown that a move to a full paid-TV broadcast setup can be successful in domestic football. This has allowed the league to collect more revenue through his deals for the clubs in the league and still maintain strong viewership numbers. In 202/23, La Liga reported an average of 340,000 average viewers per broadcasted match which places them 3rd amongst domestic leagues in Europe.

LaLiga have successfully chosen Movistar+ and DAZN to broadcast league matches with both streaming platforms being extremely popular and offering more to a consumer. With the A-Leagues huge Paramount+ failure, it is certainly time to start thinking of selling the rights to a more popular streaming service that will get more eyeballs on the product.

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Creativity, wellbeing and benchmarking: Football NSW launches 2026 Girls Youth League season

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Image Credit: Football NSW

Over 200 technical directors and coaches descended on Valentine Sports Park this weekend to launch the 2026 Girls Youth League (GYL) and Girls Junior Development League (GJDL) season.

Two core themes dominated the conference: cultivating player creativity and integrating structured wellbeing programs.

Football Australia National Team Coaches Mike Cooper and Alex Epakis led the technical delivery. The duo ran practical sessions focused on intervention methods and decision-making. Their presence ensures the state league speaks the same tactical language as the national pathways.

Benchmarking the Future

The operational spotlight fell on the Club Standards & Benchmarking Framework. Now entering its third year, the policy carries significant weight. Football NSW briefed clubs on how 2026 performance metrics will directly dictate competition structures for 2027.

Football NSW Club Technical Development Manager Neil Mann emphasised the shift away from pure results-based assessment.

“The success of a youth development program should not be determined solely by league outcomes,” Mann said.

“It provides guiding principles to help clubs create positive environments… while allowing clubs to retain their own identity.”

Person First, Player Second

Wellbeing professional Holly Fuda delivered the keynote address. She challenged directors to embed mental health strategies into daily training, rather than treating them as tokenistic add-ons.

Football NSW Head of Football Development Ed Ferguson reinforced this cultural shift.

“The curiosity and contribution across both days is testament to our ecosystem,” Ferguson said.

“Every club in attendance highlighted their responsibility to develop better individuals through football. That puts us in a strong position to create environments built on trust.”

Indonesian Consul General hosted in WA by Football West

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Image Credit: Football West

Football West has moved to strengthen its strategic footprint in Southeast Asia, hosting a high-level diplomatic delegation at the Sam Kerr Football Centre this week.

The newly appointed Consul General of Indonesia to Western Australia, Irvan Buchari, and Consul for Information and Cultural Social Affairs, Antonius Prawira Yudianto, met with Football West executives to map out the next phase of the state’s Asian Engagement Strategy.

Facilitated by Indonesia Institute President and former professional footballer Robbie Gaspar, the dialogue focused on leveraging the “world game” to deepen the sister-state relationship between Western Australia and East Java. This partnership was commercially validated last July during the historic exhibition match between the WA Men’s State Team and Liga 1 giants Persebaya Surabaya.

Operationalising Sports Diplomacy

Football West CEO Jamie Harnwell, who hosted the delegation alongside COO Perry Ielati, emphasised that the visit was about operationalising future opportunities rather than just a ceremonial tour.

“Football West has built very strong ties with Indonesia over the past decade… especially with our sister state East Java,” Harnwell said.

“We have sent many senior and junior sides to compete in Indonesia and hosted visiting teams. These occasions are great sporting and cultural experiences and help build mutual understanding and friendships.”

The meeting highlights the increasing role of sports diplomacy in state government relations. The Persebaya fixture notably attracted WA Premier Roger Cook and East Java Provincial Secretary Adhy Karyono, proving football’s unique capacity to open doors in the region.

Mr Gaspar, a key architect of the relationship, noted the potential for future growth.

“I look forward to continuing to work with Football West to grow the relationship and build meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships with Indonesia,” Gaspar said. “Football is such a powerful platform for connection, trust, and long-term collaboration between our two countries.”

Football West acknowledges the vital backing of the WA Government in driving this strategy, ensuring the code remains a central pillar of Western Australia’s international outreach.

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