Spanish rights holder Mediapro is looking to take advantage of new legislation to launch a premium sports channel on the country’s DTT system. It follows the acquisition of rights to the UEFA Champions League, a package previously held by the DTH platform Digital+.
The combination of the Champions League and the Spanish domestic league between 2009 and 2013 will make the channel an instant competitor to the local version of Canal+ Sport. Mediapro has previously sold on its rights to both Digital+ and Telefonica’s IPTV operation Imagenio.
The Mediapro plan is to acquire some of the smaller channels broadcasting on the DTT system to create space for its sports network.
Spain’s main DTT operators have all being pushing for a return to pay DTT, but this first requires a change of legislation. DTT in Spain has been free-to-air since the collapse of Quiero TV in 2002.
