By David Owen
October 26 – Spain’s La Liga is expected soon to start the process of selling domestic broadcasting rights for the next three seasons, in a move it hopes will drive up value by some 50% from the €600 million realised for 2015-16. El País, the much-respected newspaper, has suggested that an auction of these rights for the 2016-17 to 2018-19 period is likely before the end of the year. Spain moved recently to the same collective selling model as that utilised by other leading European football leagues.
Word of the imminent auction comes less than two weeks after Javier Tebas, La Liga President (pictured), gave Insideworldfootball to understand that he was targeting €900 million from these rights in 2016-17. The league is already benefiting from a more than €400 million jump, from €240 million to €650 million in the value of its international rights. This was achieved in part through a highly flexible approach to scheduling matches. “In Asia, you shouldn’t have to watch our great games at 3am,” Tebas said.
If the €900 million target is achieved, it would take the overall value of La Liga broadcasting rights in the 2016-17 season to some €1.55 billion, not far off double the €840 million generated as recently as 2014-15.
As Tebas explained in a lively presentation in Monaco this month, La Liga now finds itself treading a delicate balance as it attempts to help beef up the revenues and international image of clubs like Sevilla, Atlético Madrid and Valencia while ensuring that the traditionally dominant Spanish duo of Barcelona and Real Madrid are equipped to remain as potent a force in the European club game as heretofor.
“We are very fortunate because we have the two most important clubs in the world,” he said. “They know that either everybody grows or La Liga will not be competitive.”
Because of the way the league has decided to share out broadcasting income among clubs, Tebas explained, the big clubs know that, if they have a good season, “they are going to earn more”.
Consequently, “Real Madrid and Barcelona will continue to be the engine for Spanish football. If we take away value from Real Madrid and Barcelona, we are not going to be global.”
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