Spanish LaLiga football club Real Madrid has been awarded a licence that will enable its official television channel, Real Madrid TV, to broadcast on digital-terrestrial television in the country, according to El Mundo.
The Spanish newspaper said Real Madrid has been assigned one of three new high-definition DTT licences by the government, along with commercial broadcasters Atresmedia and Mediaset. The recipients are said to have received official notification of the decision, with the government set to formally announce the award of the licences later this month.
The government opened a tender process in April when it offered six new licences for DTT channels, three of them in HD and another three in standard definition. The deadline for submitting bids was May 28, with a total of 12 applications put forward, nine of which are said to have complied with bid specifications.
Real Madrid TV is currently only available via pay-television platforms in Spain and the club has long been keen to increase its reach by securing a free-to-air platform.
Following the closure of nine channels, Spanish viewers can currently watch 15 national DTT channels. El Mundo said the operators will have six months to commence broadcasting following the award of the licences.