Surprise before the Clasico: Barcelona and Real Madrid on free-to-air TV

128 million families benefit

Football fans in the United States can watch Barcelona against Real Madrid for free on ABC on Sunday 25 October, a move that stretches La Liga's reach beyond its borders. Viewers in Spain, meanwhile, will still need a pay-television subscription to follow the game.

According to the Spanish newspaper Sport, putting El Clasico on ABC forms part of a wider push by Walt Disney, which owns the network and ESPN, to grow La Liga's audience in the American market. ESPN holds the competition's broadcasting rights until the 2028-2029 season.

An hour of build-up will precede kick-off on ABC, with the match also available on ESPN in both English and Spanish.

Around 128 million households fall within the network's potential reach. That hands the game a route to viewers who have no subscription to the sports platform.

Kick-off at the Spotify Camp Nou is set for four in the afternoon on the east coast of the United States and one in the afternoon on the west coast.

Spain tells a different story. There, DAZN carries the game behind a pay subscription, a split that reflects how broadcasting rights are carved up between markets. El Clasico carries huge marketing value regardless, drawing global interest through the pull of Barcelona and Real Madrid and the star power of players such as Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe.