Mediapro, the Spanish sports rights and production company, has agreed a deal with TVE, the country’s public-service broadcaster, to provide live coverage of matches from soccer’s Copa del Rey, the domestic cup competition, this season, simultaneously with Gol, Mediapro's own free-to-air channel.

It was announced following Friday’s draw for the fourth round that TVE, most likely through main free-to-air channel La 1, will show the top game from each round of fixtures, starting with the first leg of the contest between third-tier Cultural Leonesa and cup holders Barcelona on 31 October.

In a statement, Mediapro said: “With this agreement, GOL and TVE, in their bid to offer the best visibility of the best national professional football, will offer one of the most outstanding matches of each day during the entire competition, from the round of 32, the round in which the teams of the highest category of LaLiga enter the draw.”

Mediapro controls rights to the Copa del Rey up to and including the semi-finals. The rights to the final are sold separately by the RFEF, the Spanish soccer federation, and last season’s showpiece between Barcelona and Sevilla was shown exclusively live on La 1.

Prior to the final, Gol shared coverage of some matches in the competition with commercial broadcaster Mediaset España.

Gol holds the free-to-air live rights and internet rights to selected matches from the top two Spanish leagues and the Copa del Rey in a three-year deal worth €75.8 million that runs until the end of the current season.

Sportcal