Soccer club's Real serious about TV
Sport converging with showbiz on Spanish net
It's a typical practice session at Spanish mega-club Real Madrid -- save that Nivola's an actor ("Face/Off," "Laurel Canyon"). On the touchline, a second unit shoots scenes for helmer Jaume Collet Serra's "Goal! 2," the follow up to "Goal," about a young soccer pro.
Welcome to the wannabe world of soccer and showbiz convergence, pioneered by Real Madrid.
It has a slew of projects on the go aiming at transforming its dedicated channel, Real Madrid Television (RMTV), "from a local niche pay TV service into an international, sports, entertainment and lifestyle service," according to RMTV director Michael Novack.
RMTV started life in February 1999 as a paid-for option on basic cable in Spain.
By late last year it had just 65,000 subs -- something had to change.
It relaunched in February as a free channel on basic cable and has inked with Hispasat, Astra, Eutelsat, PanAmSat, AsiaSat and Intelsat Americas to transmit round-the-clock Spanish- and English-language versions. The English-version will broadcast worldwide, barring Africa.
It has teamed with Interactive Sports Television to develop and broadcast interactive TV program "Realmadrid Life" for local-language editions in Asia.
French satcaster TPS has inked to carry RMTV on its basic bouquet, plus weekly programming blocks on "TPS Foot" soccer channel.
Novack says it's also prepping a raft of half-hour TV series: a weekly health magazine; players' biodocs ("The Road"); one-on-one interviews ("Real Insight"); and insights into players' private passions ("Inside Out").
There's a muppet-style series, manga toon skein and a drama on Madrid fans in the works.
As if all that's not enough, the club's first feature, "Real, the Movie," bowed Aug. 26 in Spain. It's also co-producing docupic "Football: the Birth of a Passion" and cooperating on "Goal! 2" and a film portrait of player Zinedine Zidane by producer Joni Sighvatsson for Universal France.
There's logic here. Between 2000 and 2003, Real Madrid paid E245 million ($302.1 million) for soccer superstars Luis Figo, from Portugal, France's Zidane, Brazil's Ronaldo and Blighty's Beckham.
With them Real Madrid, already, arguably, the best club in the world, became a brand with a reach far beyond Spain. Marketing revenues soared from 28% of revenues in 2000-01 to an estimated 45% in 2004-05.
To tap more stars it needs to touch more fans -- and their pockets -- more deeply. Television is a way to reach them, says contents director Antonio Garcia Ferreras.
Real Madrid brings a lot to the table as a co-producer, Garcia Ferreras argues: content, players, information, and privileged access. RMTV "adds value to our basic bouquet," says Nicolas Rostoff, CEO of TPS Sport. But it faces challenges.
"With its brand and following, Real Madrid TV has great potential beyond Spain," says Richard Brook, corporate development director at European sports broadcasting company Setanta. "Films and soccer TV lifestyle/entertainment programming are less established business models."
By comparison, English club Chelsea supplies its channel or content to a score or more countries. It focuses strictly on soccer.
"They're simply different models. It's very early to say how soccer TV will develop," says Chelsea's communications director Simon Greenberg.
If Real Madrid fails to lift a major trophy this year, its fans will deflate. You don't sell Bibles without religion.
On Aug. 24, it presented its new signing, Brazilian soccer star Robinho. Ironically, his Aug. 26 debut eclipsed "Real, the Movie," which grossed a disappointing first-weekend $77,919, while Robinho played a blinder.
Notch up another home win when it comes to strengthening the brand.
