A user base of over 80 million fans, in the football country par excellence. That alone is enough to understand the scale of the agreement signed by the Spanish Liga to broadcast its matches in Brazil from today until 2032, live and completely free of charge. The designated broadcaster will also be CazéTV, a Brazilian platform linked to the international streaming platform LiveModeTV – which just in recent days had announced the purchase of a stake in the company by Cristiano Ronaldo. “The goal is to make sport accessible to everyone, in a new and stimulating way,” the Portuguese star had said. Here is the first demonstration.
In addition to broadcasting the matches, the deal between Liga and CazéTV also concerns the distribution of complementary content – such as highlights and post-match analysis – on the broadcaster’s social media channels. The distinctive element, increasingly frequent in the Brazilian landscape, will be the use of YouTube as the reference platform for free access for local fans (where CazéTV has more than 26 million subscribers). Liga’s goal is to reach the widest possible audience in an interactive and modern way, intercepting those digitally active new generations. A way to extend the borders of the Spanish league, adapting to the times and to new modes of consumption – notes for our lethargic Serie A.
Brazil is in fact an increasingly coveted market for European football precisely because of its considerable growth margins: in this sense it was the Bundesliga that understood its potential before everyone else, generating a curious wave of popularity even at tropical latitudes. Now Spain does not want to be outdone. “For Liga, this country represents a strategic target, thanks to the passion of its fans, the cultural strength of football and the deep connection our league has always had with the talents of the Seleção,” said president Javier Tebas. “This alliance with CazéTV represents an important opportunity to bring this audience even closer to Liga, through a wide-reaching digital distribution model.”
It is also about riding the long wave of the many Brazilian stars who became champions in Spain: from Romário to Bebeto, via Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos. A tradition continued on the wings of Marcelo and Dani Alves, between Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Valencia. Up to the present day, where the media flywheel of Brazilians in Liga echoes thanks to the plays of Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior. Not to mention the Ancelotti glue: from his triumphs with Real to his new adventure in charge of the Brazilian national team, which can further contribute to the footballing mixture of two worlds and their respective fans. Ah, speaking of the new investor behind the scenes: if Cristiano Ronaldo has written pages and pages of Liga history, in Brazil they are still waiting for him. But with his numerous extra-football activities and the increasingly global outlook of his personal brand, never say never. Or rather, stay tuned.