Spanish football teams face fines unless spectator seats in TV camera view are at least three-quarters full

SPAIN’S football league will fine teams which do not fill at least 75% of spectator seats in the parts of the pitch where TV cameras are pointing.

According to La Liga, new television coverage rules mean the section from corner to corner must be three-quarters occupied as a minimum – and if these areas are less than 50% full, the fine will double.

“Occupation of the stadium is part of the audio-visual perception of the match, and for optimum television coverage, the stadium should appear to be full,” La Liga states.

To avoid fines, La Liga ‘strongly recommends’ that season-ticket holders and VIP fans should be seated between corners ‘opposite the main TV camera’.

“If any club considers that there are parts of the stadium which are not seen on the TV screens and which are frequently unoccupied, La Liga will pay for awnings to be set up to cover them,” the Spanish League concludes.

The photograph shows Youssef Al-Arabí scoring for Granada FC against Getafe.