The Madrid Court has increased the amount Mediaset must pay for broadcasting Pasapalabra without a full agreement on the format rights to 73.2 million euros. This figure exceeds the initial penalty, forcing the audiovisual group to disburse a significant sum following a legal dispute that originated from the exploitation of the contest, whose original format belongs to another company.
The legal conflict behind format licenses ⚖️
The case focuses on the infringement of intellectual property rights over the contest format. Mediaset exploited the program without having a valid license covering all broadcast periods. The ruling details that the compensation calculation was based on the advertising revenue generated by Pasapalabra during the time it was broadcast without authorization. This type of dispute usually requires an expert analysis of audiences and billing to determine the lost profits of the original format owner.
The most expensive final round on television 💰
Mediaset has learned the hard way that playing the final round without paying the entry fee costs more than getting all the letters right. With 73 million at stake, more than the program's jackpot, the network has shown that, sometimes, the biggest loser contestant is the television group itself. Of course, at least now they know the format cannot be pirated, even if they have Jorge Javier on the payroll.