The U.S. video rights to the Copa del Rey Final are sold separately from the rights to the rest of the Copa del Rey. Santa Monica Sports is the international TV distributor of the Copa del Rey Final, while MEDIAPRO is the international TV distributor of the rest of the Copa del Rey from Round 3 through the Semifinals.
In the past, Telemundo would buy the U.S. video rights to the Copa del Rey final. Now that Telemundo has the U.S. video rights to 7 teams from the Mexican First Division (in 2 separate deals: 1 with Chivas Guadalajara, 1 with Televisa for Atlante, Atlas, Monterrey, Pumas, Tigres, and Toluca), Telemundo no longer has any need to purchase rights to matches from around the world on a game-by-game basis. FOX Sports en Espanol already has Copa Libertadores on May 13 so it has no need for the Copa del Rey either.
Since Barcelona in the final, the BarcaTV broadcast will be tape-delayed on FSC on Friday at 12 noon PDT (3pm EDT), but I don't know of any live broadcast in the US.
This is crazy. If I was running Gol I would not have purchased earlier rounds knowing that I could not show the final unless those earlier rounds were dirt cheap. The game will run on 2-day delay on FSC and FSE via Barca TV. The problem with this is if the game goes to penalties, we will only see an edited version. On this front, Fox is by far the worst offender when it comes to delayed games of any kind because they usually only show extra time and penalties during a first air of a match. After that they edit to fit into a 2 hour block. I assume Barca TV in Spain and other territories will offer the full match if it goes to penalties but we would be screwed. BTW since I'm on this soapbox about edited games, it just makes no sense to me why FSC and FSE do this. They are soccer channels. What's the difference between a 2 hour block that features commercials before a game, during half-time, and post-game and a 2 1/2 hour block that breaks for the same commercials plus commercials between each extra time period and before penalties? Either way they are showing soccer games and showing commercials when they can. They have enough 30 and 60 minute shows to make up for the odd timing on a 2 1/2 hour block. And again, it's not like that time is being filled with something people wouldn't expect or want to see since people tune in to see soccer games, especially games that matter.
Copa del Ray Final via Barca TV on FSC and FSE (2-day delay) Copa del Rey Final will air via the Barca TV block on 2-day delay: FOX Soccer Channel: Friday May 15 at 3pm ET/12noon PT FOX Sports en Espanol: Friday May 15 at 7pm ET/4pm PT
For those of you with TVE Internacional, the Copa del Rey final will be on same day delay at 5:30pm Pacific time on Wednesday.
TVE Internacional - Americas is usually the last option for Santa Monica Sports, after Telemundo, GolTV, FOX Sports en Espanol/FOX Soccer Channel, TyC Sports USA, Setanta, etc. have all passed on the live US TV rights. TVE Internacional actually bought the rights to air Copa del Rey final LIVE, but TVE Internacional chose to implement a 5-hour delay in the Americas.
I wouldn't be surprised if Gol TV simply had the rights to earlier Copa del Rey rounds through its La Liga deal with Mediapro or a quick and painless negotiation (minimal rights fee situation).
This has happened in the past as well, the RFEF is asking too much for the final but I am sure that any of the US channels could make up the cost through advertising. I am a little surprised that GOLtv did not step up to the plate. Showing all the rounds and then skipping the final, that's idiotic.
Gol Tv will give the copa del rey final this thursday night complete so dont wait for friday on fox, and everybody knows to go to ROJADIRECTA or p2p live sports for all the free links to the free live game broadcasts, there is like 30 sites giving that game live in the internet not counting the ones broadcasting that dont announced on those sites
What the hell are people talking about?? Barcelona is not in the final. And there is no indication Gol TV is showing a tape delay. People should think for a second before posting incorrect information.
I think people should check the dates of the posts before you end up looking like a dumbass by criticizing everybody.
Copa del Rey final will be on TVE Internacional: Wednesday at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT (DirecTV, DISH Network, Digital cable in Eastern, Central, and part of Mountain Time Zones) or Wednesday at 7:30pm PT/Arizona (Digital cable in Pacific and part of Mountain Time Zone).
ESPN Deportes would have been a good candidate to show the match, but ESPN only seems to buy their soccer rights in packages.