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Spanish clubs not paid as broadcasters battle for supremacy
MADRID (AFP) - Several Spanish clubs have complained over non-payment of fees for television broadcasts of matches, the result of a cut-throat battle between two media groups for control of the market, a Spanish business daily reported Tuesday.
Six clubs in the first division and most of those in the second division have not been paid this month by AVS, a subsidiary of media giant Sogecable, which holds the broadcast rights, La Gaceta de los Negocios quoted sources close to the Spain's professional football league (LFP) as saying.
AVS said the non-payments were due to financial difficulties, the paper said.
AVS holds the broadcast rights to matches for 12 first division clubs, including those of league leaders Real Madrid Barcelona.
But for the past few months, Sogecable, which operates Canal Plus in Spain, and the Mediapro group have been locked in a battle to control television broadcast rights, which has at times led to the non-tranmission of certain matches.
In July 2006, the two groups agreed that AVS could have broadcast rights. But Mediapro then negotiated with the clubs to hold those rights from 2009, excluding Sogecable from the profitable market.
Since then each side has accused the other of failing to respect their commitments.
The LFP is meanwhile attempting to resolve the conflict, La Gaceta said, but gave no further details.
The first division clubs that have complained are Almeria, Osasuna, Recreativo Huelva, Majorca, Espanyol Barcelona and Valladolid.
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