TV rights issues could delay La Liga start

Thirteen clubs from Spain’s top football league La Liga are threatening to strike over a dispute about television rights.

The clubs met earlier this week and have drawn up a series of demands for the National Professional Football League (LNFP) after claiming the league’s body has shows “a great lack of respect to the clubs”. The demands include immediate payment of all money owed by television operators, the withdrawal of all legal action against the clubs in relation to contracts of sale of media rights, a transparent and regulated procedure to organise kick-off times and dates for La Liga and a requirement for TV operators to establish a stable framework to ensure the fair distribution of broadcasting rights for the clubs.

“If a solution is not reached which all clubs can agree on, the aforementioned clubs are prepared to take whatever measures are necessary, including delaying the start of the 2012-13 league season, which is scheduled to begin on August 18,” the thirteen clubs said in a joint statement.