Spanish TV yet to agree deal to show European Cup games

 

More than half of the matches at Euro 2016 are still without a Spanish TV broadcaster ahead of the start of the tournament on Friday.

After months of negotiations between broadcasters and UEFA, and with less than a week remaining before the opening match, it was finally announced that free-to-air Telecinco would show a set of 23 games, including all those involving the Spain national team and the key knockout rounds.

However, that left Spain-based viewers without any way of viewing the other 28 matches on television. Those fixtures include other Group D games that do not feature Spain, and some marquee clashes, such as Italy versus Belgium.

As has reported that talks over a deal to screen these games with pay-stations Beinsports and Movistar+ were ongoing on Tuesday - just three days before the tournament begins in France - but said that UEFA was not impressed with the "symbolic" sum being offered by the broadcast companies.

There have been regular disputes between broadcasters, authorities and clubs in the Spanish game in recent years.

Last week, La Liga president Javier Tebas released figures showing that Spain's professional clubs earned €1.2 billion from audio-visual rights during the 2015-16 season, with Barcelona and Real Madrid still dominating the share-out despite moves towards a more equal revenue sharing model.

The breakdown of the money paid also showed that resellers Mediapro received a €93 million for its role in helping grow the money earned overseas broadcasters. That total was more than the €69m that third-placed Atletico Madrid received.

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