beIN Media Group: €50m in group assets frozen due to unpaid of LaLiga Santander TV rights in 2022-23

The Court of First Instance in Madrid has decided to "temporarily" freeze €50m in assets of Qatari pay-TV group beIN Media Group due to unpaid LaLiga Santander TV rights for the 2022-23 season, according to information reported by the New York Times on 12/10/2022.

The delay in payment of the TV rights for the 2022-23 LaLiga Santander by beIN Media Group is estimated at €50.69m, according to Spanish media. The Spanish judiciary has decided to freeze the Qatari group's assets due to the "risk that the funds would be repatriated to Qatar" and that it will be impossible to guarantee payment, according to the New York Times. beIN is said to have already settled €10m of the debt on 05/10/2022, according to a spokesperson for the pay-TV group.

"Our reputation is founded on decades of significant investment and long-term and trusted relationships with rights-holders, and a track record of payment. We will not discuss publicly the private discussions we’ve been having with La Liga, or any rights-holder for that matter, regarding specific contracts. That is not how business should be…