€60m subsidy for RTVE to air Olympics
October 23, 2019
From David Del Valle in Madrid
The Spanish government will finance the transmission of the Tokyo Olympic Games through RTVE’s TV channels with a state subsidy of €60 million.
With the funds, RTVE will acquire the TV rights to the Games from rights-holder Discovery, with an estimated cost of between €55 and €60 million.
The president of RTVE, Rosa María Mateo, sent a letter to the president of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, asking for the additional subsidy on the grounds that it is an event “of public interest” and that as a public TV service it should be aired the Games.
RTVE already get an annual subsidy of €343 million plus a telco and TV tax paid by the main Spanish telcos, FTA and pay televisions.