Levante vs Real Madrid to kick off ITV's free-to-air UK coverage of La Liga

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Febbraio 23, 2019 Di Ali M.

Temi: Real Madrid, Levante, ITV, La Liga

The channel will broadcast one game per week for free, starting with Los Blancos' trip to Levante on Sunday.

La Liga fans in the UK have been treated to excellent news, as one game every week from the Spanish Primera Division will broadcast free-to-air on ITV.

This comes after a hectic few months for Eleven Sports, the original exclusive rights holder for La Liga in the United Kingdom. However, things have now changed, resulting in ITV4 earning the freedom to air games and a highlight show.

Their coverage begins on Sunday with Real Madrid's trip to Levante. This means fans in Britain could see former Premier League stars Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, and Thibaut Courtois in action for free this weekend.

Unfortunately, ITV will not be able to broadcast El Clasico, one of the most-loved rivalry in club football. Pay-TV platform Premier Sports agreed a deal with the league awarding them first choice for games per week, meaning ITV can only decide which match to air after the aforementioned channel makes their pick.

On the issue of their recent acquisition, ITV Director of Sport Niall Sloane said as per their official website: "This is good news for football fans who will be able to see on free to air television some of the world's best players in action for some of the world's biggest clubs in a league known for its high levels of skill and entertainment from now until the end of the season."

Eleven Sports will still be able to air 10 live fixtures per week. Nonetheless, this latest shake-up in broadcasting rights has not been ideal for La Liga, with some fearing they may eventually have to end their coverage in the UK due to a drop in subscription.