Prisa-Mediapro football deal clears Digital+ sale
20 July 2010
Under recession-induced financial stress, rival Spanish media groups Prisa and Mediapro have settled a three year battle over football rights, giving Digital+ secure access to domestic football for three seasons
A separate tentative deal to merge their TV assets still faces considerable hurdles if it is to be finalised by the end of June. Prisa needs to raise cash and may still dispose of Digital+ or bring new investors in the merged entity
Although Digital+ is unrivalled on the premium segment of the pay market, we doubt the economic gloom, plus strong competition from IPTV, cable and terrestrial TV, leaves much room for subscriber expansion