On December 13, Movistar and DAZN announced that they had taken over the LaLiga emission rights for the next five seasons, including those of the years 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25, 2025/26 and 2026/27. Each one will broadcast five games per day, in addition to Movistar will broadcast three full days. Now both parties have already started negotiating.
The cost per season amounted to 990 million euros, 10 more than in the previous auction, with a total price of 4,950 million euros. However, having divided the payment between two companies, the cost paid by each platform is lower. And if both reach an agreement, the final cost for Movistar will be lower than in previous years, despite the fact that the final price of the auction rose because, according to LaLiga, there were a high number of offers.
Movistar wants to offer all LaLiga matches
Movistar is clearly interested in offer all LaLiga matches, since soccer is one of the main attractions in its convergent rates. The talks are currently underway but are not expected to close until the end of the month at the earliest. In addition, the announcement of the agreement would occur at the end of the current season.
DAZN has, in total, 45% of LaLiga matches. Movistar has already communicated to the CNMV its interest in obtaining that content to continue offering the 100% of the matches to all your customers. In addition, Orange also assured that it will negotiate with both parties to continue offering all Spanish football as well. Both Movistar and Orange would incorporate the DAZN channels.
Telefónica is obliged to share rights at least until 2023, this being part of the obligations to which it undertook after acquiring Canal + in 2015. Nor could it sign contracts of more than three seasons, and having bid for five, now the CNMC will have to lift or modify that resolution, since LaLiga required a tender for the next five seasons.
Movistar can save more than 10%
To determine if Telefónica will be able to take over the rights of the 2025/26 and 2026/27 seasons, the CNMV will have to assess whether there has been a “relevant change in the structure or regulation of the markets considered.” Furthermore, it must analyze whether the total or partial maintenance of the commitments is still necessary to resolve the competition problems derived from the concentration operation. “
Everything indicates that there will be no problem for Movistar to acquire those rights. However, the negotiations will be long, but surely both parties will end up understanding each other for their own benefit. Movistar could save more than 10% of the cost with respect to previous auction if everything goes well. For now, it is already confirmed that the cost per day has been 7% lower than in previous auctions.
There are still auction more lots, including those of LaLiga SmartBank, the Horecas segment (which includes hotels, bars and restaurants), and the open game. All of them are expected to be auctioned between February and March of this year.