TV rights: Barcelona to appeal decision by Spanish Competition Commission

FC Barcelona (La Liga, ESP) will appeal the decision by the CNMC's (Spain's National Markets and Competition Commission), taken on the 28/11/2013, to fine them €3.6 million for breach of competition rules in the sale of TV rights, the club said, on the 02/12/2013.

Three Spanish first division clubs were fined - Real Madrid (€3.9 million), Barcelona (€3.6 million) and Seville (€900,000), a third division club (Racing Santander, €30,000) and the Spanish broadcaster Mediapro (€6.57 million). They were accused by the CNMC of having made four year deals in 2010, while the CNMC's rules prohibit TV rights contracts above a period of three years.

The contract agreed between FC Barcelona and Mediapro for the period 2010-2014 by the former administration of the club, "was signed (on the 09/06/2010) in accordance with the General Law of Audiovisual Communication," said the Catalan club, adding that "the contract has not affected in practice the audiovisual marketplace".

For these two reasons, the club have decided to appeal the CNMC's decision. According to FC Barcelona, before presenting their…