Through the sponsorship of Spain's basketball league through to 2018, Telefónica's Movistar+ continues to add sports to its pay-TV content portfolio, but the Champions League, one of the audience's favourites, is still proving elusive.
Movistar+ and the country's basketball organisation, ACB, have announced a partnership agreement that will take Spain's main basketball competitions - Liga Endesa, Copa del Rey and Supercopa Endesa - to Telefónica's pay-TV platform. The broadcasting rights will be shared with free-to-air (FTA) TV this season, and will then be exclusive for 2016-17 and 2017-18.
Each week, four games will be broadcast live in HD and will also available on-demand (VOD) and live through Yomvi's online platform, which is supported by iOS and Android tablets and smartphones, Samsung and LG smart TVs, and PS3, PS4 and Xbox 360.
Movistar+ has rapidly integrated Canal+'s marketing cornerstone as the "sports fans' home", as it has secured rights including those for La Liga, Formula One and Moto GP.
But there is an agreement that seems unattainable for Spain's major pay-TV company: the one with beIN Sports and Mediapro for the Champions League. Although Telefónica has stated that Mediapro's conditions are unacceptable and that Movistar+ doesn't need the Champions League, efforts have been made to try to come to an understanding. Nearly four million Spanish subscribers still have no access to beIN Sports and the Champions League.
