This is an observation that was undeniable: since the end of the remote duel between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on the Spanish lawns, La Liga had lost a lot of media power. In addition to these two legends, the Spanish championship has also had to see how other major players like Neymar or Luis Suarez have packed their bags in recent years, leaving a La Liga rather orphaned by stars. The latter were thus concentrated in England in particular, as well as at PSG for a short period. At the same time, and without necessarily being a consequence of this massive exodus of stars, the spectacle on the pitch was less and less attractive, with teams relying on rather defensive and conservative approaches, where La Liga had seduced the crowds at the beginning of the 2010s with a good number of teams more focused on attack.
Until the 2020/2021 season, the championship’s audiences were declining in Spain; a sign that even in the country, the local league was losing interest in the eyes of fans. Then, little by little, the trend started to rise again, among our Iberian neighbors and internationally. And this season, La Liga seems to have regained the number 1 championship throne in terms of popularity and highlighting in the media or on social networks. The editorial staff French Football Weekly can notably note that this season, content related to the Spanish championship is much more consulted than before. Obviously, the arrival of Kylian Mbappé has a lot to do with it. If he has not yet convinced everyone on the green rectangle, his performances are followed across the planet and his fans and his detractors alike do not miss a bit of his performances under the merengue tunic. Already extremely popular and among the most watched clubs in the world, Real Madrid has moved up a notch with the arrival of a player who is as divisive as he is media-friendly.
Mbappé relaunches La Liga
The numbers don’t lie. Last year, Real Madrid had an average audience of between 900,000 and 1 million viewers per match in Spain – depending on sources – compared to 1.5 million viewers this season. If the international figures are not known, it is a safe bet that the progression is even more daunting than in Spain. A huge spotlight for Real but especially for the Spanish championship, which clearly benefits from the media coverage and popularity of the player, which also coincides with other factors which participate or were already participating in this exponential trend. The confirmation that Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham are real stars, the appearance of a player like Lamine Yamal and a once again attractive Barça, the good level of outsiders like Atlético de Madrid, Villarreal or Athletic, the return to the forefront of the Spanish selection with a group composed mainly of La Liga players and the return of a playing philosophy more focused on attack for most clubs. Clearly, La Liga already seemed to be coming back in force before the arrival of the Bondynois, and his signing in Madrid is the icing on the cake, while waiting for him to be at the expected level on the meadow.
Obviously, in the La Liga offices, we have a great time. “The quality of the championship was already very high, and with it, we go even higher”explained the president of the Spanish championship Javier Tebas at the time of the Frenchman’s signing. The sulphurous leader knows above all that the arrival of Kylian Mbappé in a championship where we already have Vinicius Jr, Bellingham, Lamine Yamal and Pedri will put him more than ever in a position of strength with the broadcasters in the negotiations for the sale of TV rights. If La Liga had managed to limit the damage and had seen its TV rights increase despite the departures of Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, with 1.5 billion euros currently received by Spanish professional clubs, Tebas knows that he will be able to negotiate a largest amount in 2027…
The return of the Galactic League?
All this, not to mention the commercial partnerships and the signing of numerous sponsors that La Liga will sign thanks to the Frenchman, in addition to the direct benefits for Real Madrid, while jerseys flocked with the number 9 abound in the Spanish streets, but also a almost everywhere in the four corners of the planet. La Liga can also hope for a snowball effect caused by the arrival of Mbappé, with stars who would like to come to Spain to compete against the best players on the planet including the Frenchman. Currently, La Liga has 4 of the 5 most expensive players on the planet according to Transfermarktand many members of the top 20. Several players who are already real stars and who should mark the next decade such as Erling Haaland, Florian Wirtz or Jamal Musiala could thus be tempted to try the Spanish adventure during the next transfer windows. Enough to “beat” the Premier League in this duel which Javier Tebas is so passionate about.
A possible virtuous circle which will also depend on certain factors, such as the performances of La Liga clubs in the Champions League, a flagship competition for measuring the strengths of each league. Accustomed to going far in its favorite competition, the club from the Spanish capital needs its Blaugrana or Colchoneros acolytes to once again start to achieve good results. If Real Madrid can be rather serene for the future financially speaking, Barça will have to resolve its financial concerns to be able to re-candidate for a place at the top of Europe, even if it can rely on a Masia very productive. But clearly, the arrival of Mbappé in Spain has put La Liga back on track…
