Vodafone is relaunching its pay-TV offer with a strong emphasis on football, bringing back a premium package designed for both public venues and home viewers. Initially, the renewed offering targets bars, restaurants, cafes, and hotels, with a dedicated HORECA channel that showcases a broad slate of football content. The lineup is expected to include LaLiga matches across both divisions, major European competitions, and a selection of other high-profile leagues and events. The revival reflects Vodafone’s strategic pivot following a change in ownership intent and signals a broader intention to reestablish football broadcasting as a core pillar of its European telecoms services [citation: industry sources].
Vodafone’s refreshed package widens the scope beyond the venue-focused service. For paying subscribers at home, it plans to deliver live LaLiga action, top-tier European matches from competitions such as the Champions League and Europa League, and a curated mix of national and international football events. In addition, the offering is set to include motor sports and Formula 1 coverage, ensuring a comprehensive sports experience tailored to football fans and other sports enthusiasts alike [citation: industry sources].
The relaunch puts Vodafone in direct competition with Movistar and Orange, who have also been expanding their sports portfolios for the HORECA market. The push comes after a recent tender in the sector that reshaped how venues obtain broadcasting rights, with operators adjusting their strategies to optimize commercial rights for the hospitality channel. This move marks Vodafone’s return to the pub-football space after stepping back a couple of years, aligning with broader market dynamics and consumer demand for stadium-like sports experiences in public venues [citation: industry sources].
Separately, Vodafone Spain is exploring changes that could affect how domestic viewers access football on pay TV. Reports indicate talks with the DAZN platform to potentially broadcast selected LaLiga matches to home subscribers. The context is that during the latest LaLiga rights cycle, DAZN was granted a portion of the match slate, with Telefónica handling the remainder, highlighting ongoing negotiations and the evolving landscape of rights distribution in Spain [citation: industry sources].
Vodafone Spain first introduced a television football service in 2018 and completed its rollout for local customers a year later. The company later paused its football package for bars and restaurants in 2022 due to the high cost of reacquiring rights from Telefónica. Now, with a new strategic owner in sight through the Zegona acquisition, Vodafone aims to revive and strengthen its footprint in the Spanish market after a period of setbacks. The move signals a renewed commitment to delivering football content across both public venues and home audiences, while navigating the evolving rights market and competitive landscape [citation: industry sources].