Christmas Eve Pact

The Christmas Eve Pact is a pact signed between Jesús de Polanco (PRISA), Antonio Asensio (Grupo Zeta) and Catalan Corporation of Radio and Television (CCRTV) for the exploitation of the audiovisual rights of the Spanish Football League ) on December 23, 1996. The signing of this agreement was made after a severe battle in the purchase of audiovisual rights of soccer clubs maintained between PRISA and Grupo Zeta.

Audiovisual Sport was the company formed by this pact, initially owned 40% by Grupo Zeta, 40% Sogecable and 20% by TV3.

The government of José María Aznar took action against this pact carrying forward the criticized Law of Sports Broadcasts (June 26, 1997) for its excessive intervention in private companies, unique in the European Union.

It is one of the important phases in the so-called football war.

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