The thirst for football saw LaLiga record a 48 per cent jump in viewership when it resumed live matches last weekend after the three-month league lockdown due tothe Covid-19 pandemic.
LaLiga Managing Director in South Africa, Marcos Pelegrin, disclosed that the appetite for Spanish football after the long pause was quite evident in Africa when round 28 matches were played from June 11-14.
“LaLiga Santander increased its international viewing figures by more than 48% on the first match day (Matchday 28) following the restart of the league on June 11 compared to the average for the first 27 matchdays prior to the forced suspension of the Spanish league due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Pelegrin said.
“According to international consultants Nielsen Sports, and based on the preliminary official viewing figures and estimates by the firm, international audiences during live games on Matchday 28 registered exponential growth.
“In some regions of the world, extremely sharp increases in the viewing figures were achieved on the first day following the restart. For example, in Africa there was a rise of over 73%, and in countries such as South Africa the increase amounted to more than 210%.
“These figures demonstrate that Africa’s love for the Spanish league has seen an upward trajectory, with one of the reasons being the high number of African stars – 48 in total – currently plying their trade in the both LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank, together with LaLiga’s ever growing presence on Africa’s soil.”
All remaining matches since the restart are being played behind closed doors under strict Covid-19 health guidelines until LaLiga concludes on July 19.
Hala Madrid.