Audiovisual Sport Pulls Mediapro’s Spanish Soccer Matches

MADRID, August 22: The soccer spat between Sogecable and
Mediapro has intensified, with Sogecable’s Audiovisual Sport business
suspending provision of Spanish football to La Sexta’s parent company over 58
million euros in unpaid rights fees.

In addition, Audiovisual Sport maintains that Mediapro has
not complied with other contractual obligations. The Sogecable-owned company
says it has already initiated legal action against Mediapro.

Mediapro, meanwhile, countered by threatening to cease
making La Sexta available on Sogecable’s Digital+ pay-TV service.

The Spanish soccer league kicks
off this weekend. In the past, La Sexta would carry one match per weekend, with
the balance airing on pay TV and pay per view. The dispute between Mediapro and
Sogecable started earlier this summer, when Mediapro asserted that it had scored
the rights to broadcast games from 39 of the country’s 42 professional football
clubs, beginning in the 2009/2010 season. Audiovisual Sport, which represents
the majority of Spain’s football rights, refuted Mediapro’s claims.