PRISA regains football-broadcast rights

• Sogecable will offer all football matches next season
• Mediapro ordered to pay 105 million euros compensation to Sogecable

Madrid's court No. 36 has ordered the execution of the ruling that obliges Mediapro to hand back the broadcast rights to Premier and Second division club matches and to pay almost 105 million euros to Sogecable. The judge has also established the figure of an additional amount of 31 million euros to cover accrued interest and costs until the ruling is executed.

The court decision orders the freezing of current accounts, and a lien on credit rights and Mediapro shares in several companies, including Gol TV and GAMP (the company that controls TV channel La Sexta).

Apart from the implications arising from the bankruptcy proceedings, filed by Mediapro, on its ability to fulfill its financial obligations to Sogecable, the court order also requires Mediapro to hand over all contracts it manages with football clubs, thus making Sogecable the legitimate rights holder as of June 21 and enabling it to broadcast all football matches from next season.

The ruling, made public today, is dated June 21, a day before the Commercial Court No. 7 in Barcelona granted Mediaproducción SLU's (Mediapro) request for insolvency protection.