Spain: The Mediaset España Group acquires the exclusive TV rights in Spain for the 2018 World Cup

Mediaset España have acquired the exclusive TV rights in Spain for the 2018 World Cup, announced the audiovisual group, on 01/12/2017.

Mediaset España acquired the TV rights for Euro 2016 for Spain on 18/05/2016. Mediaset Spain broadcast 23 of the 51 matches including those of the Spanish team, as well as the opening match (France-Romania, 2-1, on 10/06/2016) and the knockout phase (15 matches from the knockout stages). The competition would have cost the Iberian broadcaster €45m. Mediaset also broadcast the 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012 and the 2014 World Cup.

"The audience for the matches of the 2014 World Cup in Spain, on the free-TV channels Telecinco and Cuatro, taking into account regular time, extra time and penalty shoot-outs, averaged 5.569 million viewers (Audience share: 39.7%), a figure only surpassed by the 2010 World Cup, won by Spain, with 6.325 million viewers and an average Audience share of 44.6% over the entire competition on these same channels," recalled Mediaset Espana.