By Stuart Thomson
With the 2022 FIFA World Cup just a few weeks away, the rush of last-minute rights deals continues. The latest deal sees Telefonica-owned Movistar+ secure rights to all 64 games in Spain from rights holder Mediapro. Movistar will air the event in its entirety via a dedicated PayTV channel, which will also include highlights and interviews.
The deal makes sense for Movistar+ which already controls a swathe of domestic soccer rights and likes to refer to itself as ‘the house of football’. Existing subscribers to La Liga football or Todo Futbal will get the new channel for free.
The one downside for Movistar+ is that public broadcaster RTVE also has rights to matches involving the Spanish national team – as well as fixtures towards the back end of the tournament. However this is not uncommon, with PayTV platforms often seeking to differentiate themselves by offering fans an all-access package. The World Cup kicks off on November 20th, and Spain’s opening match is on November 23. https://www.digitaltveurope.com
