beIN SPORTS prepares for La Liga season with new improvements

If you watched beIN SPORTS’ coverage of La Liga last season, you would have noticed a discernible difference. The production quality in beIN SPORTS’ studio was raised. There were far more pre-match, half time and post-match discussions on camera with their talent. There were several welcome surprise visits by world-class footballers. Plus there was more usage of the tactics board as analysts broke down the key match plays. All in all, the entire team at beIN SPORTS put in a top class effort to bring you one of the most exciting soccer leagues in the world.

While beIN SPORTS is continuing to raise the bar on its coverage, the only disappointment has been the quality of TV broadcasts directly from Spain itself. Watching a Bundesliga or Premier League game on television looks, feels and sounds like something you would expect to see in a movie theater with over 20 different camera angles, pristine picture quality and plenty of sounds and drama you would expect in a movie. But with La Liga, the TV production has left a lot to be desired. You don’t feel a part of the action as you do in other leagues. The angles of the TV cameras aren’t always the best. Plus, the footage is sometimes repetitive (you sometimes get to see the same crowd shots or close ups on the referee that are used two or more times per broadcast).

While the Premier League is the world’s most popular sports league, there’s no doubt that the Premier League’s success is partly due to how well the games and review shows are produced.

SEE MORE: Schedule of La Liga games on US TV and streaming

It’s therefore welcome news that La Liga is planning on trying to improve the match coverage. La Liga has decided to hire a game director for each match to be in full control of the TV broadcast. The game director will, according to Rapid TV, be responsible to “check lighting, grass quality and color, advertising around the stadium and football kits, among other things.”

“We have demanded that football clubs remodel stadiums so we can improve broadcasting quality,” said La Liga President Javier Tebas. “Light, TV facilities and even the pitch will be better, so viewers get the best audiovisual product,”

Also, communications group Mediapro will deploy seven drone cameras for La Liga – gradually rolling out to all stadiums – as well as 360 degree technology in the Santiago Bernabeu and Camp Nou, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona stadiums.

That’s a start but La Liga is also trying to fill as many seats as possible in the areas of the stadium that are in sight of the TV cameras. Instead of lowering ticket prices or finding ways to encourage fans to attend the games, La Liga is imposing a penalty on clubs when 75% of the stadium section isn’t filled when its in view of the TV cameras.

“In an ideal broadcast the stadium has to look at full capacity, which is why it’s so important to have guaranteed occupation of the terraces in front of the TV cameras,” according to a statement issued by La Liga.

According to Rapid News, the move could force La Liga soccer clubs to relocate fans in a bid to concentrate them in one area, while the rest of the stadium may remain empty in some games.

While the moves by La Liga are an artificial way to create the appearance of packed stadiums and better atmospheres, the league doesn’t need to stoop to such low levels. If it just focused on improving the TV production quality of the games, then more people could see the wonderful stars and stories on display.

Still, the move by La Liga will hopefully boost the match coverage and will be close to matching the improved production work by the beIN SPORTS staff and talent.

According to Antonio Briceño, beIN SPORTS Deputy Managing Director, “We strive to deliver fans quality coverage accessible on any device, and we’re excited to welcome the top European leagues back for the fourth year in a row.”

The opening weekend of the 2016/17 La Liga season kicks off on Friday on beIN SPORTS.