San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, Spain, on March 23, the day officials suspended professional soccer games across the country.
Photo: luis tejido/epa/ShutterstockProfessional sporting events have been suspended in nations around the world due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
In Spain, hit hard by the virus, the top soccer league is churning out digital content to keep fans interested, including a videogame tournament and a virtual festival.
The league recently teamed up with internet celebrity Ibai Llanos for a live-streamed videogame tournament where players from La Liga teams, including Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, battled it out on Electronic Arts Inc.’s FIFA 20. The tournament, which ran last weekend on media including streaming channel Twitch, attracted more than 1 million viewers.
This week, La Liga is organizing a virtual festival that includes performances from some of the country’s top artists as well as football stars, taking part from their homes. It will be broadcast on media including La Liga’s TV channel.
The priority is to keep fans engaged until players return to the field, but also to experiment with new ways of delivering personalized entertainment to fans, said José Carlos Franco, chief technology officer at La Liga.
U.S. sports leagues have also refocused on digital content. The National Basketball Association is posting videos from players advising people to work from home and maintain healthy habits. The National Football League last week made its GamePass streaming service free, giving fans access to old games and other content.
La Liga, which hosts 42 professional football clubs across Spain, in a sense already acts as a media company. It offers apps and other content on its website, as well as streaming and social channels.
But with Spain now a major center of the pandemic, the organization has gone completely digital, Mr. Franco said.
Recently he led La Liga’s move to remote work, providing its 600 employees access to tools such as Microsoft Corp. ’s Team collaboration software.
Initiatives such as videogame tournaments won’t replace the thrill of watching live matches, said Dan Rayburn, principal analyst for digital media at consulting firm Frost & Sullivan.
Still, soccer-mad fans might appreciate seeing their favorite stars on the screen during their enforced time out.
Write to Agam Shah at agam.shah@wsj.com
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2020-03-27 07:58:32Z
https://www.wsj.com/articles/spains-la-liga-soccer-division-goes-virtual-amid-coronavirus-11585257238
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