Netflix will broadcast 'La velada del año' by Ibai for the next three years

BarcelonaNetflix will broadcast the next three editions of La velada del año, the boxing event between content creators organized by Ibai Llanos. The agreement, announced this Monday, includes the 2027, 2028, and 2029 editions, and represents a change of platform for one of the live phenomena with the largest audience in the digital ecosystem.

In a video published on his YouTube channel, Ibai clarified that the agreement does not imply that he has let go of the project. "I have not sold La velada del año," he remarked, before explaining that he continues to be its sole owner and that all decisions remain exclusive to his team. What he has ceded are the broadcasting rights, a formula he compared to the exclusivity agreement he held with Twitch for five years.

As he explained, he had received offers from both traditional television networks and digital platforms, but he ultimately opted for Netflix. The Basque also highlighted the international reach of the agreement: La velada will be available to follow in the more than 190 countries where the platform is present. Ibai defined the pact as an important step for the project and stressed that it will be a live broadcast.

Since it was first held in 2021, Ibai's creation has gone from being an evening of amateur boxing matches between content creators to becoming a massive spectacle that combines sports and music. The event has filled venues such as the Olympic Palace of Badalona, the Santiago Bernabéu, or the Metropolitano in Madrid. The last edition, held at the La Cartuja stadium in Seville, could be followed live on Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok.

The agreement is part of Netflix's commitment to live events, which in recent years has incorporated sports competitions and broadcasts into its offering. Among its projects are WWE fights, NFL Christmas Day games, and the agreement for the rights to the 2030 World Cup in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.