LaLigaTV confirms star-studded line-up and new in-broadcast features ahead of season kick-off
LaLigaTV, the 24/7 channel offering fans in the UK and Ireland every live match from Spain’s top-flight LaLiga Santander, has unveiled its broadcast line-up for the upcoming season. It includes several new additions to the on-air team of experts, as well as the latest in broadcast technology and a revamped line-up of studio shows to complement the full slate of match coverage.
Aitor Karanka, the ex-Athletic Club and Real Madrid defender and former manager of English clubs Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest and Birmingham City, joins the studio line-up as pundit. Eva Marcela, formerly of Mexico’s TV Azteca and more recently of LaLiga Xtra, will present LaLiga News, the daily recap of major headlines and developments across LaLiga Santander. It was also recently announced that Gary Lineker, the former England captain and FC Barcelona striker, will present key fixtures and feature regularly on LaLigaTV’s Viva LaLiga studio show.
“I’m delighted to be joining the elite team of LaLiga pundits ahead of the 2021/22 season,” said Karanka. “Having spent over 17 years playing and coaching in this great league, I can’t wait to join my fellow experts in providing in-depth analysis. LaLigaTV has developed a strong reputation for offering a great viewing experience and I’m happy to be part of the team.”
Said Roger Brosel, head of content and programming at LaLiga: “We’re thrilled to add new names and faces to LaLigaTV’s world-class team of Spanish-football experts, as we continue to improve a TV product that is unparalleled in the UK and Ireland markets. LaLigaTV offers the best in football insights and integration of new technologies, and we look forward to impressing fans once again in the new season.”
With over 25 hours of weekly live studio programming, LaLigaTV will continue to offer wall-to-wall coverage of Spanish football, including a revamped Viva LaLiga daily show presented by Semra Hunter and Simon Hanley, as well as LaLiga Live pre- and post-match coverage fronted this season by Phil Kitromilides, alongside pundits and commentators, including Guillem Balagué, Graham Hunter, Albert Ferrer, Terry Gibson, Gaizka Mendieta, Sid Lowe, Quique de Lucas, Pete Jenson, Andrea Orlandi, Duncan McMath, Andy West and many others.
Furthermore, LaLigaTV will be incorporating a number of in-broadcast features for the upcoming season, including volumetric 3D video and real-time in-game statistics, offering fans an immersive viewing experience, as well as an increased number of matches featuring high-res cinematographic cameras and aerial drone coverage from LaLiga stadiums. These innovations will also be on display on the weekly LaLiga Tactics show offering performance insights via cutting-edge data visualisation.
LaLiga’s 2021/22 season kicks off this Friday 13 August, with Atlético Madrid looking to defend its league title.
Launched in the UK and Ireland in January 2020 as part of LaLiga’s partnership with Premier Sports, LaLigaTV is the only dedicated channel showing all live content from an overseas football league. LaLigaTV is currently available in the UK and Ireland via Premier Sports on Sky TV (channel 435) and in the UK on Virgin TV (channel 554) and streaming via Amazon Prime Video Channels and the Premier Player service.