Walmart (NYSE:WMT) is expected to announce on Thursday a new partnership with Spain’s LALIGA soccer league, a strategic move to increase American interest in soccer ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and increase Walmart’s (NYSE:WMT) presence in U.S. sports.
Under the new partnership, Walmart (NYSE:WMT) will sponsor LALIGA’s “El Clasico” match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, a century-long rivalry that has routinely drawn 650M viewers across more than 180 countries, according to statistics cited by CNBC.
The two will launch their partnership in late October with a weekend of events in Houston before the Oct 26 “El Clasico” match, including meet-and-greets, retail promotions, and co-branded merchandise.
By joining with the Spanish soccer league, Walmart (WMT) aims to diversify a marketing campaign that the retail giant has expanded on this year with increased ads and a partnership with U.S. Major League Soccer.
“The [soccer] fanbase is generally younger and more culturally diverse, and that is an audience that’s really important to Walmart. It’s a big part of our growing customer base,” Walmart’s Chief Marketing Officer William White said at the time of the MLS announcement in July.
Disney (DIS) provides English and Spanish-language coverage of LALIGA matches on its ESPN streaming services, including ESPN Deportes and Disney+. Last year’s LALIGA season saw a 23% increase in minutes viewed, and at the end of the fourth year of “LALIGA on ESPN” eight-year contract, the cumulative audience across all Disney (DIS) platforms grew 164% compared to the first season of the agreement.