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La Liga’s social reach in India increases over the years

The five-year anniversary was celebrated in the presence of La Liga India Managing Director Jose Antonio Cachaza and La Liga Delegate Aakriti Vohra (La Liga Delegate).

Jose Antonio Cachaza

Bengaluru, January 17: La Liga, one of the most followed European football leagues in the world, celebrated its fifth anniversary since establishing local presence in India as its social media presence has increased manifold.

As per a Media Release, the bid to increase accessibility for local fans has also led to numerous other success stories in these five years, including a 2,000 per cent increase in social audience.

Establishment of several grassroots development initiatives like the residential football school in Anantapur, that have impacted more than 20,000 youth in the country, creation of strong relationships with local partners and strengthening ties with Indian fans are some of the major takeways.

Anantapur Rural Football League final kicks off with La Liga supportAnantapur Rural Football League final kicks off with La Liga support

The five-year anniversary was celebrated in the presence of La Liga India Managing Director Jose Antonio Cachaza and La Liga Delegate Aakriti Vohra (La Liga Delegate).

La Liga has had a fan base in India since a couple decades, owing to the passionate fans who were keen to follow the best of top-flight league of Spanish League.

Recognising that and the potential the Indian audience presents, La Liga decided to open its second Asian office in New Delhi in 2016, and establish a team with local and Spanish football administrative experts.

Anantapur Rural Football League gets extended support from La LigaAnantapur Rural Football League gets extended support from La Liga

In the time period since, La Liga has accomplishedmany objectives, with the pioneering one being increasing the connection with fans in the country.

Through partnerships with local brands, including a broadcast partnership with one of India's leading media companies, Viacom18, it has been able to increase the fan following on social media by 2,000 per cent going from 300,000 when La Liga started working in the country to 6,400,000 plus in 2022.

MTV bags La Liga rights in India for next three yearsMTV bags La Liga rights in India for next three years

Another key objective has been to develop football at the grassroots level to work towards bringing India to the global stage in football.

Major initiatives like La Liga Football Schools, work with the Rural Development Trust (Vicente Ferrer Foundation) and more have created a substantial impact on the regions they operate in.

La Liga, VFF launch first residential women's football academy in AnantapurLa Liga, VFF launch first residential women's football academy in Anantapur

La Liga has also established strong relationships with various Indian stakeholders including Dream11, BKT and HeroVired and works closely with influential sportspeople like ace Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma to create a holistic experience for the fans in the country.

The association with Dream11 as La Liga's official fantasy game partner in India was inked in 2019 and since then, La Liga has become the fastest growing international football fantasy league on the platform.

Anantapur Sports Academy breaks gender barriers in rural areas with La Liga helpAnantapur Sports Academy breaks gender barriers in rural areas with La Liga help

"Five years ago, we embarked on an ambitious mission to bring the emotion of La Liga to more fans around the world and to help grow football as a sport everywhere. We're very proud that La Liga and its main protagonists are closer today to more people around the world than ever before," said La Liga Executive Director Oscar Mayo.

Cachaza, shared his views, "As we celebrate five years of being in India, we want to thank our fans and partners in the country for having helped us achieve so much more than we imagined. The 2,000 per cent growth in social audience is an exciting number, but a big outcome can't be measured - how we have deepened our connection with local fans."

2022 also marks five years of La Liga's global fan engagement and international growth, with the La Liga Global Network programme being launched in 2017. The league's ambitious international expansion strategy now covers 90 countries and has become one of the identifying traits of its growth.

Story first published: Wednesday, January 19, 2022, 10:43 [IST]
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