LaLiga told to keep FTA broadcasters in rights auctions

LaLiga has been told to keep free-to-air broadcasters involved with its domestic rights auctions, by the Comision Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC).

The CNMC has made a number of recommendations to the league regarding two packages of rights for the first division, consisting of five matches per match day and one to three single match days with all 10 matches. They come into force on 20 January 2025 and end after the 2026/27 season, and appear to be the rights currently held by Telefonica. 

The last domestic rights auction for LaLiga saw DAZN and Telefonica pick up the rights from the 2022/23 season until the end of the 2026/27 campaign for a combined £4.23 billion. At that time, LaLiga went ahead with five year deals despite the CNMC recommending that the plan be scrapped. 

Among the recommendations from the CNMC is that the league shouldn’t, “include unjustified restrictions, such as the exclusion of free-to-air television operators.” It also asks that the league use objective criteria for bidders to avoid decisions being at LaLiga’s discretion, clearly and precisely define the content on offer in the rights, not include any restrictions linked to the advertising and publicity of successful bidders, Not imply that it owns and freely disposes of rights that are not granted to it by Royal Decree-Law 5/2015, and adhere to the joint marketing of the audiovisual rights included in the scope of the regulation