The Prisa media group, owner of the Canal Plus pay-television channels in Spain, has agreed to pay the Mediapro agency €88 million ($114.4 million) plus tax, curtailing the threat of a fresh dispute over coverage of the forthcoming 2013-14 domestic football season.
Mediapro had claimed that it was owed at least €100 million by Prisa under the terms of a rights deal between the two parties for the Liga, the top division of football in the country, and the second-tier Segunda División.
National Sports Council chairman Miguel Cardenal acted as the mediator in the deal.
In August 2012, the two companies agreed to share coverage of the Liga and Segunda División for three seasons, from 2012-13 to 2014-15, bringing to an end a long-running ‘football war’.
“With this agreement, the parties agree to comply with the contract that was agreed on August 16, 2012 for the exploitation of media rights to the Liga and Segunda División,” Mediapro said.
Prisa added: “The agreement reached at the headquarters of the Supreme Council of Sports in Madrid guarantees the peaceful exploitation of the league for the benefit of operators, clubs and Spanish football in general.”