EP Sergio Oslé becomes the new behind-the-scenes TV advisor to Javier Tebas
The former President of Movistar Plus+ and the President of LaLiga have been friends since 2019 and they're 'obsessed with piracy'
Sergio Oslé Varona, former CEO of Telefónica España and former president of Movistar Plus+, has become a key advisor to Javier Tebas from behind the scenes. Amid the audiovisual reconfiguration of LaLiga, the executive "whispers" to the LaLiga president, as industry sources told Elcierredigital.com.
The same sources indicate that the advisor can't act as such, since he would breach the non-compete period that Telefónica required him to sign before paying him compensation that could have been around 5 million euros. Although he doesn't hold an official position in the professional soccer structure, Oslé's shadow is long.
His friend Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, trusts his technical judgment and business experience. He also trusts his global profile to provide advice on one of the most delicate changes in Spanish soccer in the past decade. Indeed, it marks the end of the Mediapro era.
They share a friendship forged years ago, when LaLiga and Movistar established an ambitious agreement in 2019 to centralize the production and broadcasting of matches. Since then, Oslé and Tebas have shared strategies, business vision, and even common obsessions, such as the fight against audiovisual piracy, which they both consider a direct threat to the economic model of professional sports.
"Both are obsessed with audiovisual piracy," sources in the television industry explain.
Oslé Was Left Unemployed a Few Months Ago
Oslé (Bilbao, 1975) is a telecommunications engineer from the University of the Basque Country and holds an MBA from the prestigious Stanford University. His career took a key leap in 2004 when he joined McKinsey as a partner. He spent more than a decade at this company advising major corporations. In 2017, José María Álvarez-Pallete recruited him to serve as president of Movistar Plus+. In 2021, he was promoted to CEO of Telefónica España.
From his position at Movistar Plus+, Oslé built a very close relationship with Javier Tebas and with LaLiga's audiovisual structure. It was an alliance of convenience and long-term vision. LaLiga sought to strengthen control of its rights and avoid Mediapro's intermediation. For years, the Catalan company led by another friend of Tebas, Jaume Roures, had monopolized the audiovisual model of soccer in Spain.
Telefónica, meanwhile, wanted to strengthen its position as the exclusive distributor of premium soccer. In 2019, this alignment materialized in the creation of the Movistar LaLiga channel. It was done through a joint strategy that even included a unique sound identity for the competition.
Oslé's departure from Telefónica at the beginning of the year, replaced by socialist Javier de Paz at Movistar Plus+, came with compensation of several million euros. Since then, he has avoided the media spotlight. But Oslé has not stopped influencing.
Mediapro Hurts
Tatxo Benet's company, until recently led by Jaume Roures, had been the audiovisual production provider for matches for more than a decade. Their contract exceeded 80 million euros per year and represented more than 20% of their technical revenue.
The departure of Roures in October 2023 and the internal power shift at Mediapro weakened the alliance. Since then, LaLiga moved to prepare a new production and distribution model. The result was revealed a few weeks ago: Mediapro is out. Swiss company HBS will be the new audiovisual producer for First and Second Division matches. In addition, TSA (Telefónica Servicios Audiovisuales), a subsidiary of the group Oslé chaired, will handle signal distribution.
The announcement triggered a strong reaction from Mediapro, which issued a statement—later withdrawn—calling the awarding process "arbitrary." They claimed their offer was cheaper and technically more reliable.
In this context, Oslé's role becomes crucial. His technical knowledge and experience leading one of Europe's largest content platforms help with this. His good relationship with Tebas, who listens to his frequent advice, also helps. They share a fierce crusade against piracy. During his time at Telefónica, Oslé promoted technologies for tracking illicit signals and actively advocated for tougher regulatory frameworks. Meanwhile, LaLiga has developed its own anti-piracy team.
This audiovisual move also represents a declaration of independence from old partners. For years, Mediapro won every auction, often with Telefónica's tacit consent. The latter resigned itself to buying the content after losing the bids. Now, it will continue to exploit the rights, because the technical change will not affect it.
New Operators
The organization insists that the entire process was transparent, with public specifications and objective technical criteria. Mediapro, meanwhile, denounces secrecy, unexplained date changes, and biased evaluation. The truth is that tensions have escalated, but control of the content has already changed hands. HBS and TSA will be the new operators of a signal that generates millions of euros and shapes the international perception of the competition.
Oslé's role, although invisible to the general public, continues to gain importance. Not only as a strategic consultant, but as the architect of a new era in Spanish professional soccer. His role fits perfectly with Javier Tebas's way of operating: surrounding himself with people with high technical capacity, loyal, and willing to push a very ambitious business vision.
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