Spanish football clubs threaten strike action over TV deal

The clubs of the Spanish BBVA Primera Liga have threatened strike action unless the Spanish government moves ahead and approves a law which will regularize the central sale of media rights.

Friday evening saw the clubs send both the government and the Higher Committee of Sport a letter in which they highlighted the "enormous urgency which is needed for the government to dictate the norms, including both a method for commercialization, as well as a system for the distribution of income."

The clubs in the Football League (LFP) have given the government two weeks to act, otherwise they will go on strike against a system which currently sees each club negotiate their television rights on an individual basis.

The current system sees Real Madrid and FC Barcelona earn around 50 percent of all of the money given to clubs in their TV deals, with the 'big two' earning as much as seven or eight times more as clubs such as Rayo Vallecano, Eibar and Levante and around three and a half times more than sides such as Valencia and reigning league champions, Atletico Madrid.

"The individual sale of rights impedes the commercialization of the sport outside of Spain in a way the market requires," continues the LFP letter.

With the current TV contracts due to expire at the end of the current season and many clubs surviving on shoestring budgets, which have forced them to rely on free transfers and loan deals for players, there is a need for the deal for the next three seasons to be completed before the end of the current campaign.

By showing their willingness to allow "regularization from outside," the LFP hope to show their desire to regulate the situation as soon as possible, but unless the government acts soon, Spanish football faces the possibility of a strike which would paralyze the season. Endi