At the heart of any sporting league are the rivalries that draw fans together and pit them against one another in full support for their beloved teams. And for LaLiga EA Sports, one of the richest rivalries is El Clásico, the matchup between Spanish football clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid.
LaLiga is the highest division of men’s professional football in the system of Spanish football leagues, made up of twenty teams, with Real Madrid and Barcelona standing at the top of the league throughout history. The two clubs have faced off in LaLiga El Clásico matches 187 times and will add another match to that total on Sunday, April 21, at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. The matchup between the two clubs is a highly anticipated sporting event in football and reaches fans across the world.
One way that LaLiga has broadened its reach to US and Mexico fans is through the launch of its platform El Partidazo, a venture between LaLiga and Relevent Sports Group focused on engaging fans with Spanish football through events across the US.
“US fans are sophisticated, and they like to have options on how to consume the sport and live diversified experiences,” says Boris Gartner, CEO of LaLiga North America and president and partner of Relevent Sports. “Our focus is to build deeper connections with our fans. They are the ones that dictate the products and experiences we deliver.”
“Our focus is to build deeper connections with our fans. They are the ones that dictate the products and experiences we deliver.”
Boris Gartner
El Partidazo’s next event is taking place this weekend at Downtown Disney District in Anaheim, California. LaLiga collaborated with ESPN and Disneyland Resort to create an event for fans to engage with different Spanish football initiatives, such as watching the upcoming El Clásico match.
“Hosting this event is recognition of the tireless passion of our fans,” says Adrian Segovia, head of content and distribution. “They love LaLiga teams, so what better than to be with them here, with ESPN, bringing their favorite commentators and wonderful legends like Iker Casillas, Patrick Kluivert, and Hugo Sánchez. We want to give voice to the passion of our fans here. We want to celebrate with them their energy and that of their families. And when it comes to celebrating with families, there’s no better place than Disney.”
LaLiga has been working immensely to continue engaging fans from the US and Mexico with the Spanish league. Last summer, the league’s first Summer Tour included four matches in Mexico and the US, which totaled one hundred thousand spectators.
LaLiga has an even bigger lineup for summer 2024, which includes another Clásico matchup on August 3 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Additionally, Barcelona and Real Madrid will play European Premier League teams Manchester City and Chelsea, along with Serie A club AC Milan, which stars Unites States men’s national soccer team captain, Christian Pulisic.
“Our primary objective has been to enhance the accessibility and engagement of LaLiga, bringing the passion and energy of the competition closer to our fans,”
Nicolas Garcia
“Our primary objective has been to enhance the accessibility and engagement of LaLiga, bringing the passion and energy of the competition closer to our fans,” says Nicolas Garcia Hemme, vice president of strategy and business development. “To achieve this, we’ve dedicated ourselves to gaining a profound understanding of our audience—knowing who they are, what motivates them, and how they interact with our games, teams, and players. This understanding allows us to provide various avenues for fans to experience everything that LaLiga has to offer.”
LaLiga and Gartner don’t plan to stop building LaLiga engagement in the US after this summer. The league is always looking for ways to further connect with fans and drafting up plans to grow the league in North America.
“Next step for us is finding new ways of connecting with our fans in the region and giving them reasons to watch along in different forms and narratives,” Gartner says. “Consistency and working with our main partners in the market to build meaningful platforms is what we are obsessed about. The country is hosting major global events in soccer in the upcoming years and we are ready to capitalize on them to scale and strengthen the relationship with our fans in the market.”