Jose Antonio Cachaza, Managing Director, LaLiga India,In exclusive interview with Sports Trumpet

LaLiga’s smashing fixture, El Clasico, to be broadcast in Hindi on Sports18 Khel, Viacom18’s free-to-air sports channel

The first El Clasico of LaLiga’s 2022-23 season will be broadcast with Hindi commentary on Sports18 Khel, Viacom18’s free-to-air sports channel, on 16^th October 2022 for the first time since the partnership was inked in 2021. The mega-fixture featuring two of the world’s biggest football clubs, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, will also be available Sports18, MTV, VootSelect and JioTV platforms with the endeavour of making the league more accessible to fans across markets in India.

As one of the most iconic showdowns in global sports, the El Clasico is a highly anticipated fixture each year which pits two of the strongest clubs in Europe against each other. The stakes are high as the encounter signifies a history of passion, rivalry, strength, and dynamism which drives the teams and the fans to watch with bated breath. Real Madrid currently stands at the top with 76 wins in the LaLiga fixture, but Barcelona follows closely with 73 in their bag. This years showdown will feature two new squads and fans are particularly looking forward to the Lewandowski-Benzema faceoff. Both the teams will put their strongest foot forward to establish dominance early on in the season.

With the match kicking off at Asia-focused times, it is one that Indian fans are looking forward to with excitement. Viacom18, LaLiga’s official broadcaster in India, has come forward with several exciting programming initiatives to enhance the viewing experience. The El Clasico will feature commentary in two languages: English and Hindi and will be available across a slew of platforms, including an FTA sports channel, Sport18 Khel to reach each and every fans across the continent.

Jose Antonio Cachaza, Managing Director, LaLiga India, said, “Over the years, Indian fans have showed immense love for El Clasico, and we’re excited to be working with Viacom18 to increase accessibility for this blockbuster fixture. El Clasico is more than just a football match, it is a cultural link that unites football fans across the world. The added offerings of Hindi commentary and free access to the match are certainly going to help us take LaLiga to fans across markets in India.”

About LaLiga

LaLiga is a global, innovative and socially responsible organisation which is a leader in the leisure and entertainment sector. It is a private sports association composed of the 20 public limited sports companies (SADs) and clubs of LaLiga Santander and the 22 of LaLiga SmartBank, and is responsible for organising professional football competitions in Spain. LaLiga is the football competition with the most social media followers in the world, with over 150 million followers across 17 platforms in 20 different languages. With its headquarters in Madrid (Spain), it is present in 41 countries through eleven offices and 44 delegates. The organisation carries out its social work through its Foundation and was the world’s first professional football league to establish a league for intellectually challenged footballers: LaLiga Genuine Santander.