Sogecable, Mediapro in Soccer Spat

MADRID, July 6: Pay-TV platform Sogecable says it will take
legal action against Mediapro, disputing the media group’s assertion that it
has scored the rights to broadcast games from 39 of the country’s 42
professional football clubs, beginning in the 2009/2010 season.

Late yesterday, Mediapro, which owns a stake in La Sexta,
announced that it had acquired the lucrative exclusive broadcasting rights to
the majority of Spain’s football clubs, with chairman Jaume Roures noting, “We
will exploit the rights on our own.”

Shortly thereafter, Audiovisual Sport (AVS), the entity that
represents the majority of Spain’s football rights, issued a statement refuting
the Mediapro claims. AVS, which is 80-percent owned by Sogecable, said the
assertion made by Roures “are objectively false and harmful.”

AVS cites a July 2006 agreement with Mediapro, TVC and
Sogecable that stipulates it will award the free-to-air, pay-TV, pay-per-view
and new-media rights to Spain’s League and Cup official football competitions.
It also says it holds the rights to all football clubs qualified for First and
Second divisions for the 2006/07 to 2008/09 seasons, and in the future. AVS
also holds a number of contracts with football clubs until the 2012/13 season.

AVS maintains that “Mediapro should not have been able in
the past, and is not legitimately entitled to acquire, any rights for itself or
on its own.” The organization also says Mediapro has not been able to meet its
obligations for the 2006/07 season, alleging the organization’s failure to make
complete payments for the rights. AVS says it filed suit against the company on
July 3.

Sogecable in its own statement said that it “demands that
the shareholders and managers of Mediapro fulfill their commitments and meet
their obligations. Sogecable will not allow any failure in the observation of
contracts and commitments thanks to which Mediapro has been enjoying rights
during the 2006/2007 season and pretends to continue to enjoy next season,
2007/08.”

The company’s statement concluded: “Sogecable will take
legal actions against Mr. Roures and other people representing Mediapro or
other parts providing any help for their plan to commit fraud against
Sogecable’s legal rights and interests. This will be the case unless an
immediate public rectification is made and a compensation for fraudulent,
harmful and coercive acts is paid.”