A number of La Liga clubs are facing an immediate drop in broadcasting income as a result of Prisa TV’s financial struggles.
The broadcast outlet last summer sparked a ‘TV war’ with rivals Mediapro, after prompting a number of clubs to break contracts with Mediapro, in favour of 30 per cent improved rates with them.
A total of eight clubs signed with Prisa TV last year – Celta, Espanyol, Getafe, Osasuna, Real Sociedad, Zaragoza, Athletic and Mallorca – to join Real Betis and Atletico Madrid who were already with the company.
Prisa TV’s business in improving rates – Celta for example went from €13m a year with Mediapro up to €22m – has increased income for this collection of clubs from €167m to €230m per year.
Including Prisa TV’s €420m deal with Mediapro to take rights through to 2015, the company’s costs are currently at €678m per annum.
However, according to reports in the Press today, a loss of around 20 per cent of their market in the last year is set to have an immediate, knock-on effect for the clubs. A total of 200,000 customers via different platforms have dropped out of the pay TV market since last summer and Prisa TV are understood to have been hit hard.
As a result, the broadcasters are understood to be preparing to contact their 10 clubs over the course of the next few days with the view to renegotiating their contracts signed or agree to a deferral in payments, in order to lower immediate total costs by €150m.
