Real Madrid has publicly celebrated a landmark Supreme Court decision that brings an end to a decade-long legal dispute with LaLiga over the distribution of audiovisual rights for the 2015–16 season.
In an extensive official statement released on Friday, the club confirmed that the ruling validates its position against the statutory changes made by LaLiga in 2015—modifications that Madrid claims were introduced “illegitimately” and used to distort the distribution of television revenue.
The Supreme
Court decision triggers approximately €88 million in total compensation for a group of clubs that competed in the Segunda División that season. The beneficiaries include: Alavés, Albacete, Alcorcón, Almería, Bilbao Athletic, Córdoba, Elche, Gimnàstic de Tarragona, Girona, Huesca, Leganés, Llagostera, Lugo, Mallorca, Mirandés, Numancia, Osasuna, Ponferradina, Real Oviedo, Tenerife, Real Valladolid, and Real Zaragoza.
€8.8 Million for Real Madrid
Real Madrid itself will receive €8.8 million, which the court determined the club had been “unlawfully deprived of” due to LaLiga’s alteration of the revenue-sharing model.
The Court ruled null and void the Second Additional Provision introduced by LaLiga in 2015—an addition the judges deemed unauthorized and incompatible with the legislation governing audiovisual rights at the time. As a result, the valid distribution for 2015–16 reverts back to the original framework:
- 60% of revenue distributed among Primera División clubs
- 40% among Segunda División clubs
- Equal distribution within each division
Real Madrid emphasized that the ruling “restores legality” and ensures that similar governance decisions must be made with “full respect for the law and transparency.” The statement further underscores that the Supreme Court has completely dismissed LaLiga’s appeal, thereby ratifying the earlier National Court ruling in favor of Madrid.
The club closed by highlighting the ruling’s significance for both Real Madrid and the affected Segunda División clubs, asserting that the judgment confirms they were “unlawfully harmed by LaLiga’s actions.”
