Prisa has vowed to appeal after a commercial court in Seville agreed with Real Betis that the Spanish pay-television operator’s payment of €10 million ($13.3 million) to the Liga club in 2007 was not a rights fee instalment.
According to the Periodista Digital website, Betis said the €10 million payment represented a “bonus” payment to the club for agreeing the rights deal with the media company’s pay-television broadcaster Sogecable. However, Prisa argued that the payment was part of the first year’s rights fee of €27 million.
Prisa, through Sogecable, agreed a three-year rights deal with the club, starting with the 2009-10 season. However, Betis were relegated at the end of the 2008-09 season, and the rights deal was only activated when the club returned to La Liga, the top tier of the Spanish league, in the current 2011-12 campaign.
Prisa was ordered to fulfil the obligations of the rights deal and pay €27 million for the 2011-12 season, €29.5 million for the 2012-13 campaign and €30.5 million for 2013-14, the final season covered by the rights deal.
“Prisa completely disagrees with the legal arguments put forward by the judgment and, as soon as appropriate, will respond to this decision in the Provincial Court of Seville,” Prisa said. “Our legal arguments are expected to change this ruling.”