Spider cameras like these are sometimes used to film high-flying Spanish games.
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Anyone who has caught a glimpse of Spanish football recently might have noticed something about its overall coverage. When it comes to camera angles and visuals, her shows are flashy. And with more and more ideas and technologies for streaming games, they are getting flashier and flashier with each passing year.
La Liga rights holders receive full footage and effects through audiovisual company Mediapro, responsible for much of the league’s broadcasts. The result is comprehensive game coverage, interspersed with match stats, tactical charts and dynamic shots.
Behind the configuration there is also a lot of money. Mediapro paid millions for La Liga rights to bar establishments and promised much more in lucrative broadcast deals outside Spain. To match the costs, it brings high quality. But things haven’t always been easy for the Barcelona-based company. More information on this shortly.
What exactly is Mediapro?
Unlike paid services DAZN and Movistar, now the two main beneficiaries of La Liga in the country after a deal worth nearly 5 billion euros ($5.5 billion) – Mediapro is not confined to a single role on the broadcasting front. Instead, it incorporates cutting-edge footage and plays a part in deciding what happens on TV when fans gather to watch El Clásico and other top-flight matches each year.
Rodrigo Paul celebrates his goal in Atlético Madrid’s win over Real Sociedad.
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The company is also helping to change the way people watch the league. With countless minutes of video recorded by drones and new pitchside devices to complement more traditional cameras, viewers can consume games from multiple vantage points.
Additionally, it has influenced where many watch them. Towards the end of the season, Real Sociedad v Real Betis was broadcast on the social media platform TikTok via Gol, one of the broadcaster’s channels, and more than half a million pairs of eyes. have connected. The experience followed another Real Sociedad match, this time against Athletic Club in the previous campaign, which was uploaded to Twitch. In both cases, the motivation was to attract a wider audience, which she achieved.
A checkered track record
During its expansion abroad, however, Mediapro encountered difficulties. While he still boasts Kylian MbappeNeymar and Lionel Messi – all PSG players – would have gained French Ligue 1 status two seasons ago if a costly deal between the broadcaster and the division had been agreed.
Lacking investment and with its clubs struggling financially, Ligue 1 has struck a four-year TV rights deal worth more than 3 million euros ($3.5 million) with Mediapro. In the end, both sides were naive.
The league did not hold matches due to the pandemic, and with the money not coming from paying subscribers, Mediapro was unable to withdraw the agreed money from its end of the bargain. The clubs expected revenue which never arrived, ruining their economic forecasts. Ligue 1 was too quick to seize the opportunity, despite the company’s inability to break into the Italian Serie A market before negotiations even began in France.
It rarely happens, but the Real Madrid champion failed to capture the star signing he was hoping for in Mbappé.
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Plus, there’s a debate about how people want their football anyway. Mediapro offers a rich visual experience, but who’s to say it’s the best?
where does it go from here
Spain is a better place where Mediapro can operate. With CVC’s agreed investment providing financial prosperity for La Liga clubs – excluding opposition Real Madrid, Barcelona and Athletic Club – league sides are less desperate to secure sources income, which was not the case in France. This fury left him with questions to answer.
Indeed, for what Mediapro offers, it makes sense to stay with La Liga instead of dominating overseas rights and betting on a return on high-stakes investments. The company has also helped bring La Liga to life in recent seasons, making El Clásico more cinematic for those watching, even if they lack the quality of previous clashes. It looks set to continue.
And that is where the value of the organization best resides.
