Spanish broadcaster Mediaset, which owns the Telecinco and Cuatro commercial channels, has acquired rights for games featuring the Spain national football team.
The deal starts immediately and will run until June 2014.
The agreement comprises 16 matches – including 11 home and away games in 2013 and five home friendly matches in 2014. The deal includes all of Spain’s remaining qualifying matches for the 2014 Fifa World Cup, excluding the Finland v Spain match on September 6, 2013.
The first match covered by the deal will be Spain’s friendly match against Uruguay in Qatar on February 6.
Mediaset struck the deal with the Grupo Santa Mónica agency, the rights distribution partner of the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF), the Spanish football federation.
TVE had the previous cycle of rights over five years, from 2008 to 2012, but the public-service broadcaster was unable to agree an extension following a government-imposed cut in its budget.
Earlier this week, Mediaset acquired rights for the 2013 Fifa Confederations Cup national team football tournament, which will feature Spain.