Spain
Spanish Liga set for collective model as Royal Decree approved
The Spanish government has approved a Royal Decree, the legislation required to enable Spanish football league media-rights to be sold on a collective rather than club-by-club basis.
Spanish regulator approves Telefónica’s move for Canal Plus
Spain’s competition regulator, the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y La Competencia (CNMC), has given the green light to telecommunications company Telefónica’s takeover of Spanish pay-television operator Canal Plus.
Spanish Sports Minister hits out over La Liga rights process
Miguel Cardenal, Spanish Secretary of State for Sport and president of the government’s sports council (CSD), has criticised the current impasse over the introduction of collective media-rights selling in domestic club football.
Mediapro to support beIN Sports channel launch in Spain
Pay-television broadcaster beIN Media Group will launch its beIN Sports channel in Spain on August 1.
Euroleague game coverage to offer players’ perspective
European club basketball tournament the Euroleague will test out the use of micro-cameras on playing kits tonight (Friday) when Real Madrid takes on Zalgiris Kaunas in a play-off game in Madrid, Spain.
BeIN and Telefonica linked to Canal Plus partnership
Telefonica is in talks with pay-television broadcaster beIN Media Group for the Spanish telecommunications company to sell a significant stake in Spanish pay-television operator Canal Plus, according to multiple media reports in the country.
LFP attacks RFEF chief over collective rights stance
The Spanish Football League (LFP) has criticised Angel Maria Villar, the president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), for not representing the interests of the clubs as the battle to introduce collective media-rights selling in the domestic league escalated.
Spanish clubs hold off on strike threat
Football clubs from the top two divisions in Spain have postponed talk of a strike and given the country’s government a few more days to make progress on a law over collective media-rights sales.
El Clasico sets broadcast first for Spanish Liga
Sunday’s game between Barcelona and Real Madrid became the first Spanish Liga football match broadcast live in aircraft under a deal between the Mediapro agency and Turkish Airlines.
Uefa was prepared to play waiting game in Spain
Weak competition for Europa League rights in Spain forced Uefa into lengthy negotiations with the beIN Media Group and the Mediapro agency, who were bidding jointly. A deal was eventually agreed last week.
Mediapro and beIN Media Group snap up Europa League rights
Spanish agency Mediapro and pay-television broadcaster beIN Media Group have been awarded media rights for the Uefa Europa League European club football tournament.
Barça extols collective selling benefits and switches rights to Telefónica
Spanish club Barcelona said this week that the planned return to collective selling would help La Liga to eventually match or exceed the media-rights income of Italy’s Serie A, but that it would require the country’s pay-television industry to be much stronger.
Watching Brief (Vol.96) Special Focus: American Football
Mike Kiernan, analyst for SportBusiness Intelligence, looks at television audiences for Super Bowl XLIX
Spanish federation proposes commission for collective selling
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has tabled a proposal to the Spanish Football League (LFP) form a joint commission in order to negotiate the collective sale of rights to the Liga, the sport’s top division in the country.
Telefónica confirms interest in collective Liga rights
Telefónica will bid for the collective rights to the Liga, the top division of Spanish football, when a collective model is introduced, according to the telecommunications company’s chief executive, José María Álvarez Pallete.
Sportitalia adds to basketball coverage with Copa del Rey rights
Italian DTT sports broadcaster Sportitalia has acquired rights to the 2015 Copa del Rey de Baloncesto, the annual knockout competition of Spanish club basketball.
Telefónica dislodges Mediapro as Barcelona rights-holder
Telecommunications company Telefónica has dislodged the Mediapro agency as Barcelona’s official rights-holder for the 2015-16 season, the Spanish Liga club has announced.
Spanish clubs could halt Liga action to push through rights legislation
Spanish football clubs are prepared to stop playing in order to push through government legislation that will allow media rights for the top-tier Liga to shift to a collective sales model, according to Joan Collet, the president of Espanyol.