SPAIN / The Euro 2016 matches too expensive for broadcasters

With the European Football Championship starting in a few weeks (June 10^th to July 10^th), no Spanish television group has yet acquired the broadcasting rights.

In late April, Mediaset España (Tele 5), the last candidate hoping to acquire them, eventually gave up, after a fruitless meeting with CAA Eleven, the agency appointed by UEFA to negotiate broadcasting rights. The group believes that if it had acquired them, “the company’s accounts might have suffered a negative impact of around €15 million.” For the 2012 Euro, Mediaset spent €40 million for the rights to 31 matches.

According to sources quoted by the daily El Periodico, this year UEFA is demanding around €45 million to broadcast the competition’s 51 matches.

Mediaset however does not rule out revising its decision, “if the conditions change and they come within [our] profitability criteria”.

The Atresmedia group (Antena 3, La Sexta) is also still interested as long as the operation is profitable.

The Spanish team, defending champions, play their first match on June 13^th – against the Czech Republic.

Sources: El Periodico, Satellifax, 20 Minutes