Barcelona v Real Madrid to be shown free on ABC in the United States

Football fans in the United States will be able to watch Barcelona’s meeting with Real Madrid for free on Sunday, 25 October, after ABC confirmed it will broadcast the game.

The decision gives the Spanish league a wider audience outside Spain, with ABC’s potential reach estimated at about 128 million households. It also means the match will be available to viewers without a subscription to a sports streaming service.

The game will be shown in the United States as part of Walt Disney’s plans to expand the Spanish league’s audience in the American market. Walt Disney owns both ABC and ESPN, which holds the Spanish league’s broadcasting rights until the 2028-2029 season.

ABC will provide one hour of pre-match coverage before kick-off. The fixture will also be available on ESPN, with coverage offered in both English and Spanish.

The match at Spotify Camp Nou is scheduled to begin at 16:00 on the United States’ East Coast and 13:00 on the West Coast.

Viewers in Spain will face different arrangements. The game will be broadcast there by DAZN, but only through a paid subscription, highlighting the contrasting way broadcasting rights are distributed across the two markets.

The fixture is expected to attract significant international attention because of the global popularity of Barcelona and Real Madrid, as well as the presence of players including Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe.