Espanyol confirms rights deal with Prisa

Spanish La Liga football club Espanyol has signed a new television rights contract with pay-television operator Prisa for three years, from 2012-13 to 2014-15.

Prisa will exploit the rights on the Canal Plus pay-television channel.

Financial details have not been disclosed, but Spanish website Sport said last month that the proposed deal was worth about €25 million ($30.5 million) per season, up by 32 per cent on Espanyol’s previous rights deal with the Mediapro agency, worth €19 million per season.

The deal with Mediapro was set to expire at the end of the 2012-13 season, but the Catalan club cancelled the contract after citing competition law, introduced in Spain in 2010, that prevents rights-holders from owning a team’s broadcasting rights for more than three years.

In a statement, the club said it was “very proud” to attract the “outstanding support” of Prisa, which has also become one of Espanyol’s top eight official sponsors as part of the deal.