Mediapro plans to drop football after this rights round
May 8, 2018
From David Del Valle in Madrid
Spanish TV group Mediapro is reportedly planning to pull out of buying football TV rights after the forthcoming tender for La Liga rights 2020-2023.
The acquisition of football TV rights as an intermediary to resell them in the market is causing the group an increasing amoount of problems with the country’s telco operators. They have threatened it to take it to the Courts following a row over the asking prices, akin to what has occurred with Sky Italia and the Italian football rights. The refusal of the operators to pay the asking price is lowering the profitability of the entire football operation.
The group needs good relations with the telcos if it is to fulfil its ambition to become a ‘Spanish Netflix’ and sell them TV content. Mediapro plans to focus on the production of series and movies.