Malaysians Flocking to Football Fiesta La Liga Style

Malaysians Flocking to Football Fiesta La Liga Style
Record Number of Malaysians Tuning Into La Liga

[dropcap]M[/dropcap]alaysians are beginning to adopt a keen interest in the Spanish Liga BBVA as increased broadcast of matches, better viewing times and enhanced studio presentation serving as key contributors in garnering positive ratings. At the center of its growing popularity is ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) as they continually strive to provide fans with a comprehensive, engaging and unique Liga BBVA viewing experience.

In just three months into the season, ESS announced that viewership has increased by 32% for all the Spanish Liga BBVA LIVE matches on the network. This brings the total number of Malaysian tuning into the flamboyant league to 2.6 million*.

Mikhail Svrcula, a hardened Valencia CF fan from Kuala Lumpur, said “I love the Spanish La Liga because technically, it’s the best league in the world. Unlike the English Premier League, players are allowed more time on the ball, and that’s where you can see the magic happen and nothing beats the Spanish flair. The La Liga is almost entirely a different game of football to what we normally see in Malaysia, which is the EPL.”

“I’ve been supporting Valencia CF since 2001, and it was very rare for me to watch a match due to the previous broadcast times that were too late and also because of the sporadic broadcasts of La Liga every week. This season, with the new broadcast times, and better coverage on ESPN, I’m able to watch my team play on a regular basis.”

[pullquote align=”right”]In my opinion, I think many people view Real Madrid and Barcelona as La Liga.[/pullquote]

Undoubtedly, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF continue to be the biggest teams watched with the El Clasico topping the viewership ratings amongst Male 15-29 years old.* However, its positive to note that Malaysian fans have been turning their attention to other Liga BBVA teams. Other teams that are popular amongst Malaysians, besides Real Madrid or Barcelona, are: Sevilla FC, Getafe CF, Atletico Madrid, Athletic Bilbao and Valencia CF.*

Keith Columbus, another Valencia CF supporter, said “In my opinion, I think many people view Real Madrid and Barcelona as La Liga. However, I think it’s great that ESPN are also showing other games with the pundits providing pre and post-match analysis of them. I still love Liverpool FC and the English Premier League, but now with the Spanish La Liga so easily available, it’s nice to tune in to a different league every now and then, and learn their drama, learn their rivalries, and basically watch another group of football stars.”

ESS have recently gone a step further in providing fans an engaging and unique Liga BBVA viewing experience by bolstering its coverage with the addition of a special studio presentation on the Spanish league by the world-renowned SKY Sports news team. The studio presentation includes match previews and reviews of key matches by well-known football experts made up of current and former managers and professional players with experience of the Spanish game.
*Source: AGB Nielsen

About ESPN STAR Sports
ESPN STAR Sports is a 50:50 joint venture between two of the world’s leading cable and satellite broadcasters. As Asia’s biggest sports content provider, ESPN STAR Sports combines the strengths and resources of its parent companies – Walt Disney (ESPN, Inc.) and News Corporation Limited (STAR) – to deliver a diverse array of international and regional sports to fans across multiple platforms.

ESPN STAR Sports features a comprehensive portfolio of multimedia assets including its television networks (ESPN, STAR Sports, STAR Cricket, ESPNEWS, ESPN HD, STAR Cricket HD), broadband network (ESPN Player), digital content services (espnstar.com, mobileESPN), and its on-ground Event Management Group with the aim to engage and entertain sports fans anytime, anyplace.

ESPN STAR Sports showcases an unparalleled variety of premier sports from around the globe featuring some of the most iconic sports events to viewers across 24 countries in Asia through its 26 television networks and 3 broadband networks, each localized to deliver differentiated programming to meet diverse needs of Asian sports fans.