Court quashes fines against Mediapro and clubs in football deal case

Spain’s second highest court, the Audencia Nacional, has quashed a set of fines levied on Mediapro and four leading football by competition watchdog the CNMC over deals between the Catalan broadcaster and the clubs – Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Sevilla and Rácing de Santander – dating from November 2013.

The CNMC had fined Mediapro for breaking a prohibition on striking deals for La Liga and Copa del Rey football rights for more than three seasons at a time. The regulator fined Mediapro €6.5 million, Real Madrid €3.9 million and FC Barcelona €3.6 million. Sevilla and Rácing de Santander received smaller fines.

Mediapro subsequently appealed the ruling before the Audencia Nacional on the grounds that the CNMC had applied legislation retroactively and had ignored European legislation in this area.

The court held Mediapro to be in the right and ruled that contract signed before April 2010 were valid.

The court also declared the sanctions imposed on the clubs to be invalid.

Mediapro said it was satisfied with the ruling.