Spanish pay-TV network Gol T has received the broadcast rights for the 2014 World Cup, according to ECOTEUVE. The games will be broadcast through Mediapro, which was not able to sell the pay-TV rights for the World Cup to either Digital + or Telefónica. Because of this, Mediapro will air the broadcasts on its sports channel Gol T. With "Gol Stadium, the entire World Cup will also be available for Gol T customers from any location with Internet." During the 32 days of the World Cup, Gol T will broadcast a special program covering everything from the World Cup. In addition to all the games, "the channel will offer practices and live press conferences, player interviews, analysis and opinions from experts." The channel's commentators will join the best int'l experts for each national team (ECOTEUVE, 6/13). ESTRELLA DIGITAL reported that Mediapro paid more than €60M ($79.9M) for the 2010 World Cup, and later tried to make a profit by selling an eight-game package to Telecinco. Now, Mediapro will not have this opportunity because Mediaset España has acquired 25 World Cup games of its own. Under the agreement between Gol T and FIFA, the channel will broadcast the 64 games, (39 of them exclusively) of the competition, including every game involving the Spanish national team. This effort will attempt to reverse the continued decrease in subscribers, as last year ended with 290,000, 93,000 fewer than in '11 (ESTRELLA DIGITAL, 6/13).
CANAL+ CONFLICT: Prisa's pay-TV division Canal+ said Thursday that it has retained €22M ($29.3M) in payments due to Mediapro, according to REUTERS. A Canal+ auditor found significant differences between the costs assigned by Mediapro and its receipts, which caused an over-pricing of nearly €30M ($40M) for the '12-13 season. Mediapro denied failure to meet the contracts signed with Prisa and said that "Canal+ could not unilaterally decide the payment amounts between the two parties" (REUTERS, 6/13).
