I'll write a long post to explain. Spanish law dictates that certain games be televised on free tv (this would require an even longer post to explain) - in the case of La Liga, one game a week MUST be shown on a free, national network. La Liga TV rights are, until 2009 IIRC, the property of Audiovisual Sports, which is a joint venture owned 80% by Sogecable and 20% by Mediapro. Sogecable exploits the big share of the pie, which is 1 game on cable and 8 on PPV. Mediapro exploits a smaller share, which is the one game on the free networks (which obviously has larger audiences than the cable or PPV games) and the rights to show La Liga abroad. Mediapro sold their "open" game a week to La Sexta, which they own in part (I know, it's complicated). Things get complicated because, for the duration of the Audivisual Sports venture, Mediapro has been buying the TV rights from individual teams (which is a departure from precedent, where the LFP sold the whole package) from next year onwards, often paying obscene amounts of money (e.g. to us) for them, and ignoring the Audiovisual Sports partnership altogether. From what I understand Mediapro had been rumbling about starting to show games from the teams they had signed as soon as next season. Sogecable got pissed off about this so they brought up the teeny little fact that Mediapro apparently owes them €58M from the Audiovisual Sports partnership. Mediapro says they don't owe this money, but Audiovisual Sports, controlled by Sogecable, is preventing Mediapro TV staff from entering some stadiums (for example in the Murcia-Zaragoza game today). Since Mediapro has very little leverage in this situation, what they are doing is trying to show more network games at the same time as PPV games (to screw PPV revenue and make clubs nervous), and cut the signal for abroad (hoping that ESPN and SKY and so on will pressure Sogecable), because that's as far as they can pee. There are several outcomes that can come from this. The easiest wold be to reach some sort of agreement, but Sogecable is part of a very powerful media empire and any sort of compromise only changes the status quo in favour of Mediapro. Sogecable may have a case to win this in the courts, but this will obviously not happen before matchday 2. Or each could just sit tight it its own trench and see what happens. The thing that bugs me the most about this is that soccer is being treated as some sort of "special good". Because of Spanish law (which is deeply flawed to begin with), soccer *has* to be shown - although no one specifies how, by whom or for how much money. And because of this unreal expectation (that soccer is "of national interest") a lack of soccer will almost start street riots, making it extremely difficult to solve an issue that would be settled by a civil lawsuit. I want to watch my soccer, but it would be VERY beneficial in the long run that the conflict be settled by the courts and not by some half-ass compromise that both parties will ignore or, god forbid, by government intervention to give people its bread and circus. My 2 cents.
I am not as well informed as yourself on this but, Guillem Balague explaining the situation on Sky tonight, said that it was Sogecable who had 'cut the signal for abroad' not Mediapro (presumably meaning that it had cut its feed to Mediapro). He was saying it had done this ostensibly because of the owed money, but more because it was pissed with Mediapro's actions. He gave the impression that Sogecable were in the wrong. Any thoughts?
im still lost. does it involve certain teams like sevilla was last year? or do we have a chance of watching Real Madrid games?
A funny note...... Al Jazeera sports was dissalowed to post barca game tomorow and was only to post the valencia's game and i forgot who. The comenatator said i hope we sue whoever started this saga. Another thing: Al Jazeera + has 1 million customers who pay 10$ yearly ( i know its cheap) pissed about not showing La liga some whom claimed there money back. lol...
That sounds sort of more feasible but I had read somewhere that Mediapro got the exploitation of TV rights abroad. I might be wrong, I'll try to find out. It's a pissing contest in any case. The heart of the problem is that Mediapro started signing individual teams from 2009. This is a problem for two reasons. 1) Mediapro is paying *massive* advances on the TV deals, which makes it look like they "own" teams already, and they sort of do because this show of "goodwill" that is the advances is kinda sketchy and 2) allegedly (I haven't read it) the Audivisual partnership includes a written commitment from both parties (Sogecable and Mediapro) to not pursue the purchase of TV rights from teams as individual units, but rather as the Audiovisual conglomerate. I don't know that this clause does indeed exist or how strictly it is written, but Sogecable has had Mediapro in its sights for months now because of their purchase of TV rights. The €58m is a reason as good as any other to enforce the protection of one's interests. It may or may not be owed, to tell you the truth I have no idea, or it might be one of these "friendly debts" that you only call on if your "friend" screws you right over (like what Barcelona has with La Caixa), but I find it *very* hard to believe that this amount of money is a figment of Sogecable's imagination, or that the Audivisual board (which is controlled by but not 100% Sogecable) would take such drastic measures against its own business partner on a whim. The "solution" for the problem is horrendous, but I don't blame Sogecable for starting the conflict and the root of the problem is government regulation anyway. Because of the "general interest" issue, it has become extremely easy to flaunt any sort of legislation involving TV and sports. You just do whatever you want to disrupt the status quo, and then the government has to enact the so-called "Ley del Futbol" lest they start getting lawsuits left, right and centre, or, even worse, get the street rumbling about the lack of soccer. For example, and this has happened, you and I put our life savings together and buy the rights to transmit the Copa del Rey final. That we don't own a single TV camera is immaterial. The "Ley del Futbol" says that that game in particular has to be broadcast on a national, open network. So you and I ask for whatever outrageous amount of money we want for it and sit snugly until a network comes up with our asking price. They don't or won't or can't? Well, then we let the government intervene, as it must according to the law, and 12 hours before the game we go through mediation or arbitration and we get a nice amount, maybe not as much as we wanted, but enough to make a handsome profit. You see where this is going? Any assault on the status quo of TV rights will *always* succeed because *someone* will ultimately bail you out. Mediapro has used Audiovisual sports as a springboard, overpaying for the "open" game so that they can get their hands deeper into the pie. If there's a problem, no one is going to pay Mediapro's price, and someone has to broadcast Mediapro's game, so Mediapro will do whatever it wants knowing that chances are good that it will get away with it. I don't know who is technically right in the whole issue, and I'm pretty sure Balague doesn't either unless he enjoys reading through Spanish law and acts of incorporation. Sogecable is being unreasonable and they could talk about this "TV tapping" in a more civilized manner. But the root of the problem is that they think they are being screwed over and they can do *nothing* about it unless they choose a point to make a stand, a real stand that might involve laws being rewritten (the "ley del futbol" is a massive aberration) and contract disputes being settled by the courts and not by the old "well, someone has to show it" argument.
So goltv didn't show the game at 6 pm eastern time here in the states because of this dispute?? Damn I wanted to catch the replay at 11. And no games tomorrow either?!? F---!
we waited for over two months... tried to get mini feeds on preseason matches because well it's difficult....... then the la liga opening day.. gearing ourselves up. on the tv and get a little scrollbar saying that the madrid match is not available world wide. *BAM
it's radiculous, two chinese local tv announce officially that they will telivise live, but the result is ass h.
I was as surprised as anyone who had no prior knowledge of this conflict last night. I was just getting ready to watch the game, beer in hand, baby (finally) put to sleep and then the TV station who has the rights for La Liga posts the "no signal" sign and the commentators tell us about the conflict in Spain. Damn ! Being a sport channel, they managed to show the Juventus game live, but I don't care about Italian football ! Also the guys said that some games are going to be transmitted live, like the Getafe game, Probably because depends on the rights owner, as Laudrup explained. Thanks, Laudrup, for clearing up some of the mess ! In conclusion, as some other folks, I paid for what ? Since this is a PPV station, I got screwed big time ! Damn... The things some people do for money...
Thank you for the reply and insight. On the above point, yes Mediapro do have the overseas rights, what Balague was saying is that Sogecable 'pulled Mediapro's cable lead out of the socket' in the stadium (possibly literally).
what a joke - typical dodgy spanish business conduct i bet real and barca are spitting blood - they know how important attracting international audiences are to their P&L. IMHO, it is very short-sighted on both parties count if they allow this dispute to drag on any longer - MediaPro's investment in future TV rights will depreciate big time as transient support move to a more accessible league and I'm sure as hell SKY, ESPN and the big asian networks will be preparing their legal teams ready to sue their supplier -sogcable ? -for breach of contract. hopefully a comprimise will be reached this week.
I watch La Liga casually on online streams, but I feel really sorry for you hardcore fans. Hopefully, it will resolve soon. I wonder if y'all can coordinate some kind of effort to contact the channel which usually shows your games (GolTV??); put pressure on them to ensure they use whatever clout they have.
Sky screwed me over last night. I'm so pissed. Somebody please tell me that you have links to the game. I must download and watch now. I havent seen a second of it. Somebody HELP.
I stayed up and home until 2 a on a Satiurday night when my friends went to clubbing with some college girls.
I brought a brand new madrid jersey to wear yesterday and all i did was wore in... turn on to big soccer forums.. on some spanish commentary i couldn't understand and feel sorry for myself