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panish soccer league La Liga has vowed to adjust the time of matches to Asian preferences in an attempt to expand its international market and fan base.

La Liga global network Indonesia delegate Rodrigo Gallego said the new schedule would start next season, adding that half of the matches would take place during prime time in the Asian region.

“This is historical for La Liga. In Spain, we [like to watch soccer] during dinner time. And now we are changing everything, because we know we have a global audience,” he told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of a press briefing on Tuesday.

The regular playtimes of the soccer league are 9 to 10 p.m., which is the usual dinner time in Spain, but this does not suit fans in regions like Southeast Asia, as they have to wake up before dawn to watch their favorite clubs.

Playtimes are an important issue for the league, as broadcasting rights contributed 34 percent to total revenue in the 2017/2018 season with 4.48 billion euro (US$5 billion). The sale of audiovisual rights is the league’s main revenue engine aside from sponsorships and match day revenue.

The league’s data show that the club’s revenue from audiovisual rights varies depending on the status of the club. For example, in 2017/2018, Barcelona gained 154 million euro while Getafe got 44.5 million.

Rodrigo noted a change in the sale of broadcasting rights, explaining that five to 10 years ago, each club would sell its own rights, which he thought was problematic, as the small clubs would struggle to reap much revenue from this method.

“It is now managed collectively by La Liga. So now we [have equity] in broadcasting rights,” he said.

To boost its international profile, the league has representatives in 45 countries, including Indonesia. The representatives are not merely tasked with increasing awareness of La Liga’s existence in those countries, but also with learning what the local soccer league needs.

“Asia is one of our key regions. Indonesia is one of our five key markets, and I think we are doing our best to promote La Liga to reach the first position in the international perspective for fan engagement,” he added.

La Liga’s 2017/2018 financial report points to good financial conditions, with net profit reaching 189 million euro, up 6.7 percent from the preceding season.

Advertising revenue and revenue from transfers of players in and out of the league are believed to be two of the main factors behind the league’s growth last season.

Blessed with strong finances, La Liga seeks to give back to society through projects to support athletes in other sports. One beneficiary of such support is Spain’s first badminton world champion, Carolina Marin, for whom La Liga covers training expenses and tournament traveling costs.

According to the report, La Liga contributed 1.37 percent to Spain’s gross domestic product and accounted for 0.98 percent of employment in Spain.

Rodrigo said the soccer industry in Spain was a major source of welfare, with 185,000 people working in the industry.