Barcelona set to discuss Telefonica rights offer

Barcelona will hold a board meeting on January 26 at which talks will be held over telecommunications company Telefónica’s bid to acquire the Spanish Liga football club’s broadcast rights.

Spanish newspaper Diario AS said the issue of the club’s rights will be to the fore at the meeting, with Telefónica rivalling Barcelona’s current partner, the Mediapro agency, for the contract covering the 2015-16 season.

Telefónica last month agreed deals with fellow La Liga clubs Celta Vigo and Real Sociedad for their media rights in the 2015-16 season, with only Barcelona and Espanyol remaining from the current top division clubs yet to conclude agreements for next season.

The 2015-16 season is set to be the last in which Spanish clubs will sell their rights individually. Thereafter, rights will be sold collectively by the Liga de Fútbol Profesional, which governs the top two divisions of Spanish football.