A lawsuit filed by the Mediapro agency against Spanish Liga football club Osasuna for breach of contract relating to broadcast rights has been dismissed by a Pamplona court.
In March 2007, Osasuna awarded Mediapro its broadcast rights to appearances in international competitions in a seven-year deal running until the 2013-14 season, along with its rights to games in La Liga and the Copa del Rey domestic cup competition for the five seasons from 2009-10 to 2013-14.
However, in May 2012 Osasuna signed a new three-year deal until the end of the 2014-15 season with pay-television broadcaster Prisa TV, which resulted in Mediapro taking legal action.
Osasuna said it was able to cancel its contract with Mediapro and negotiate its new deal with rival Prisa due to the competition law in Spain that was introduced in 2010. The law prevents rights-holders owning a team’s broadcasting rights for more than three years.
The Court of First Instance No. 4 of Pamplona ruled that Osasuna’s actions fell in-line with the competition regulations. Spanish news agency EFE added that the court also dismissed a counterclaim filed by Osasuna against Mediapro in which the club was seeking a payment of €1.4m ($1.9m) concerning its rights for the 2011-12 season.
The judgement can be appealed.