Exclusive: beIN to cut ties with LaLiga after extraordinary Tebas row

beIN Sports says that it has no intention of renewing its LaLiga rights following an extraordinary stand-off with the Spanish league’s president, Javier Tebas.

The broadcaster cited “unhinged personal feuds and public attacks on partners and stakeholders, ahead of the best interests of Spanish clubs and Spanish football.” 

Talks on rights deals for the 35 territories controlled by beIN and collectively worth up to €300 million each year were due to commence in January, but a beIN executive said that the broadcaster will not renew.

“I can’t imagine we’ll entertain even a conversation,” a beIN official told Off The Pitch.   

“We’re reconsidering every single contract and relationship we have with LaLiga.  Again, just imagine if the Premier League did to Sky or Amazon even a fraction of what Tebas has done, it’s honestly mad.”

Explosive row

Earlier this month a dispute over unpaid broadcast rights payments exploded after LaLiga secured an interim judgement from Madrid’s Court of First Instance to freeze tens of millions of euros of beIN’s assets. It followed late remittance of a rights payment, but beIN claimed they had agreed an extension and only learned about the action from the media. 

Tebas has a longrunning feud with beIN president Nasser Al Khelaifi, who is also president of PSG and the European Club Association (ECA). LaLiga are currently litigating against PSG following the renewal of its contract of Kylian Mbappe, while Tebas is UEFA delegate of the ECA rival, European Leagues.

The Qatari owned broadcaster has also said that it is suing Tebas for “breach of the most basic professional norms.”

A beIN official confirmed to Off The Pitch that it was launching legal proceedings for breach of confidence and defamation, but was “considering others under Spanish law.”

Resolution 

The broadcaster says that it has now settled its latest rights fees in accordance with what it terms a pre-agreed schedule. LaLiga disputes this, saying that payment was 75 days late.

“beIN confirms it has honoured its latest obligations to LaLiga – as scheduled, and in-keeping with beIN’s trusted relationship with all our partners for decades,” said a beIN spokesman. 

“It is unfortunate that the President of LaLiga, week-on-week, pursues unhinged personal feuds and public attacks on partners and stakeholders, ahead of the best interests of Spanish clubs and Spanish football.  All this, at a time when LaLiga needs good leadership and strong partnerships more than ever.”  

A senior LaLiga official told Off The Pitch: “LaLiga confirms that beIN paid yesterday (Oct. 27) and that we hope that they will comply with the contracts they signed going forward.”

Battle on many fronts

The court order against one of LaLiga’s main broadcast partners, is one of just several fronts the LaLiga president is battling on at the moment. In addition he expects his litigationagainst PSG to go to Europe’s highest court, while on Thursday this week strike action was threatened over a proposed sports law. 

The latter was averted after the Spanish government backed down on key issues and Tebas declared himself “uncomfortably satisfied.” But it has been a difficult few weeks, with all but one Spanish club knocked out of the Champions League and the European Super League – led by Barcelona and Real Madrid – rearing its head again. Calls for that are likely to be heightened with Barca’s financial problems likely to be exacerbated by its early exit from the Champions League.

Pointing to these financial struggles, a beIN sources said, “Maybe Tebas can create an NFT of his freezing order, and Barcelona can sell it as another lever for $50M.”