La Liga: move towards collective negotiation of broadcasting rights

Spanish professional clubs will soon be required, by law, to sell their broadcasting rights collectively, announced Miguel Cardenal, Secretary of State for Sports, on Spanish radio station La Cope on 18/04/2013.

The proposal will be presented before the end of 2013. The new scheme is consistent with the plans outlined by the Director General of the LFP (Spanish Football League) Francisco Roca at the Soccerex European Forum on 11/04/2013, he stated that the LFP would opt for the collective bargaining of TV rights by 2016.

Roca added that 7 of the 42 clubs of the top two Spanish divisions were still yet to accept the proposal.

Until now, every Spanish club has individually negotiated its broadcasting rights with the media, which is unique among the five major European leagues.

The collective selling of media rights should allow greater financial equity between clubs. Broadcasting rights are the primary source of income for the majority of Spanish clubs.

La Liga's broadcasting rights are worth €650m for the 2012/13 season.

Real Madrid and FC Barcelona (€140m each in 2011/12) share 43…