LaLiga tackles digital single market with the European Commision

Within the context of the work carried out with Europe’s institutions, the president of LaLiga, Javier Tebas, met with a vice president with the European Commission, Andrus Ansip, in Brussels today, Tuesday. During the meeting, LaLiga’s president underscored the importance of exclusive territorial licenses in order to bring its sports competitions to the different regions of the European Union. 

Likewise, the president explained that these licenses not only benefit the content rights holders, but also distributers and consumers. Based on these exclusive licenses, distributors offer consumers the sports competitions which they are interested in adapted to their linguistic preferences, as well as recouping the investment necessary to offer such content. LaLiga also explained that advertising income is essentially national and/or local in scope. 

Good meeting with @tebasjavier: support for portability of online content, great work by @laliga to fight piracy pic.twitter.com/noqKUU76TR

— Andrus Ansip (@Ansip_EU) March 15, 2016

 

The meeting also examined the proposed regulation on the portability of online content services and the fight against piracy. LaLiga expressed its support for content portability for consumers who have legally signed a contract with a provider in their country of residence when they are abroad for a limited period of time, and provided that efficient means for verifying a subscriber’s residency are implemented. 

In terms of piracy, LaLiga explained its initiatives for preventing sources of funding reaching websites which infringe intellectual property rights. It also explained its proposals with respect to a possible review of the corresponding community legal framework. Both parties expressed their willingness to continue to work together, with a special emphasis on the portability initiative and the fight against piracy. 

As such, LaLiga continues to demonstrate its concern for the development of community regulations and future initiatives which will affect Spanish professional football and the value of its brand. In the coming months, LaLiga will continue working to reconcile its position and gain influence with Brussels, focusing its efforts on a number of European political institutions.