MADRID, SPAIN – APRIL 29: Real Madrid and Almeria players observe one minute of silence for the victims of Nepal earthquake prior to start the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and UD Almeria at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 29, 2015 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

Barcelona and Real Madrid loses advantage in new La Liga TV deal

La Liga teams not named Barcelona and Real Madrid will get the opportunity to better compete against the top two teams in the league. La Liga’s dispersal of TV revenue will change beginning with the 2016-17 season and will benefit most teams in La Liga.

La Liga’s current revenue structure consists of two separate TV deals. One deal consists of just Barcelona and Real Madrid and they negotiate their own TV deal. The other TV deal consists of the other 18 teams in La Liga and they all split the revenue. Because of the worldwide appeal of Barcelona and Real Madrid, they get a massively more lucrative deal (three times more lucrative) than the rest of the league and only has to split it between themselves instead of 18 ways.

That alone can explain why Barcelona and Real Madrid have separated themselves from the rest of the pack when it comes to the La Liga race. I’m quite surprised that Atletico Madrid has been able to put together a formidable team not only in La Liga but in Champions League and can put up a fight because they do not get the kind of TV revenue that Barcelona and Real Madrid get within La Liga.

This new structure will be very similar to what other leagues employ. Yes, teams higher in the table will get more money because revenue will be split based on performance as well as by broadcast appearances but at least it’s going to be one pie split among 20 teams and be a bit more fair for all.

This is definitely going to benefit teams who are not named Barcelona and Real Madrid because they are going to be making more by cashing in on Barcelona’s and Real Madrid’s worldwide popularity and the worldwide TV revenue they can provide to La Liga. No need to shed a tear for Barcelona and Real Madrid because they will still be making the most money, it just won’t be as large as it has been. This will certainly make La Liga stronger as a whole and possibly become a more competitive league from top to bottom.

(Pro Soccer Talk)

About Phillip Bupp

Producer/editor of the Awful Announcing Podcast and Short and to the Point. News editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. Highlight consultant for Major League Soccer as well as a freelance writer for hire. Opinions are my own but feel free to agree with them. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @phillipbupp

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