Spanish league clubs to earn more TV revenue if they provide better access to players and coaches

MADRID — Spanish league clubs that voluntarily give broadcasters more access to players and coaches will earn more in television rights this season, the league said Friday.

Clubs will earn bigger shares of the television rights by voluntarily offering up “interviews with coaching staff, pre-match footage from inside changing rooms and greater involvement of players across a host of different broadcast formats,” the league said.

The league said it hopes to enhance the fans’ viewing experience and ultimately generate more income by encouraging clubs to be take more proactive initiatives.

The measure “comes in response to demands from broadcast rights holders for an improved product to raise it to the level of other elite sports competitions,” the league said.

The Spanish league this season is debuting its partnership with videogame company EA Sports as its title sponsor, with new logos and audiovisual features to be put in place.

Only one club - Real Madrid, according to Spanish media - voted against the changes to how the broadcast revenues are shared. Some of the revenues will still be distributed according to audience share, with another portion now being calculated depending on the degree of collaboration by clubs and their voluntary initiatives.

This new system only affects the 25% of the “audience recognition” criteria for revenue distribution, the league said.

“The measures and proposed results are a response to the needs of a constantly evolving market in which it is essential to strengthen links with fanbases that demand new content to better their match experience, something that other major European leagues are already working on,” the Spanish league said.

The league kicks off on Aug. 11 with a new broadcast product that offers a redesigned graphics package, new perspectives and camera angles, more detailed information and “a much more immersive viewing experience,” the league said.

New camera angles in the dugouts, aerial cameras, cinematic cameras in player tunnels and improved visuals “all come with a nod to the EA Sports FC video game,” the league said.