LaLiga matches to be shown free-to-air on Fridays and Saturdays in the UK
Ahead of the start of the 2020-21 LaLiga season on 11 September, Premier Sports and LaLiga have announced that they are making two games a week available free-to-air and expanding access to the premium 24/7 channel LaLigaTV.
Starting this Friday at 6pm (UK time), Premier Sports’ free-to-air channel FreeSports will debut Fútbol Fridays, a four-hour broadcast window offering fans across the UK expert insights into the top storylines from the upcoming matchday of LaLiga Santander.
Hosted by Semra Hunter and accompanied by top Spanish-football pundits including Guillem Balagué, Pete Jenson, Albert Ferrer, Graham Hunter and Andrea Orlandi, among others, Fútbol Fridays will broadcast live via simulcast from the LaLigaTV studios starting at 6pm BST with two hours of pre-match coverage, followed by weekly Friday night LaLiga fixtures at 8pm UK time, beginning with this week’s Granada CF vs. Athletic Club.
Premier Sports chief executive Richard Sweeney said: “We’re thrilled to partner with LaLiga to bring Fútbol Fridays on FreeSports to viewers across the UK. We know there’s a strong appetite for free-to-air football in this country and we’re confident that fans will make Fútbol Fridays a consistent part of their weekend viewing habits.”
Additionally, FreeSports will offer UK viewers an extra dose of Spanish football from this weekend, with the inclusion of Saturday 3pm BST broadcasts for two consecutive weekends: SD Eibar vs. RC Celta (Saturday 12th September) followed by Villarreal CF vs. SD Eibar (Saturday 19th September)
From Matchday 3 onward, fans will continue to enjoy live LaLiga Santander football at 3pm UK time on Saturdays via LaLigaTV, whilst UK blackout restrictions remain suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic and matches being played behind closed doors.
LaLiga president Javier Tebas added: “We look forward to fans in Spain, the UK and elsewhere finally returning to stadiums once it is deemed safe to do so. For now, we are pleased to bring UK viewers the very best of Spanish football via our flagship 24/7 channel, LaLigaTV, and our broadcast partnership with Premier Sports. This includes during the traditional kick-off time of 3pm on Saturdays.”