GRUP MEDIAPRO will air, exclusively on pay-TV, the entire 2026 FIFA World Cup™, following an agreement with RTVE for the acquisition of media rights to the tournament. To ensure fans don’t miss a single moment of the tournament, GRUP MEDIAPRO will launch a 24/7 channel dedicated to the tournament, offering the most complete coverage across the GolStadium platform, which will be made available to pay-TV operators.
The new channel will air all 104 World Cup matches, 71 of them exclusively — a model similar to that successfully implemented during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ with GOL MUNDIAL. With this move, GRUP MEDIAPRO is reshaping how fans experience football, delivering top-quality programming and making the World Cup more accessible than ever. The World Cup draw will take place later this year, determining the composition of the 12 groups of 4 teams each.
The FIFA World Cup 26™ introduces groundbreaking changes that heighten its global appeal. It will be the longest tournament in history, with 48 national teams from five continents — compared to 32 in previous editions — competing across three host nations: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. From 11 June to 19 July 2026, matches will be played in 11 U.S. cities, 3 in Mexico, and 2 in Canada, totaling 104 matches — 40 more than Qatar 2022™.
Spain has been drawn into Group E in UEFA’s qualifying phase for the 2026 World Cup, alongside Turkey, Georgia, and Bulgaria. In the qualifying phase, the top team in each group will earn a direct place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Spanish National Team ended 2024 ranked third in the FIFA World Rankings, behind Argentina and France, and is one of only eight nations ever to have lifted the World Cup trophy — alongside Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina, France, Uruguay, and England since the inaugural edition in 1930.
After a full review of the technical setup behind the VAR service at last Sunday’s Rayo Vallecano – FC Barcelona LaLiga premier league match, the final report concludes:
• The power supply assigned at the stadium to GRUP MEDIAPRO’s outside broadcast unit was insufficient to guarantee proper operation. The circuit breaker (300mA) lacked the sensitivity needed to support the unit’s electrical load.
• Before and during the first half, the team tried every available option to stabilize the power supply — none of which could fully secure it.
• At halftime, a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) was activated to power the outside broadcast unit until an outlet with the necessary specifications for the unit’s operation could be provided.
• The outside broadcast unit was later subjected to extensive testing and stress checks, with no issues detected.
GRUP MEDIAPRO has delivered its findings to the RFEF.
• A technical fault related to the electrical system, the cause of which is yet to be determined, prevented the VAR service from functioning properly during the first half of the Rayo Vallecano - FC Barcelona match.
• Despite the efforts of our technical team, the service remained disrupted until normal operation was restored in the second half.
• GRUP MEDIAPRO is investigating the cause of the incident.
Olympiacos FC opened the doors of its futuristic new museum on Monday, August 4, an initiative of club president Evangelos Marinakis that has been designed and produced by Mediapro Exhibitions. The opening of this space, located at “G. Karaiskakis” Stadium, marks the culmination of celebrations held this year in Piraeus, and throughout Greece, marking Olympiacos' centenary.
The Museum is the ‘Ark of The Legend’ (the club’s nickname), through which all generations can sense what Olympiacos stands for and the values it has championed over the years as the world's greatest multi-sport club. In the new Olympiacos Museum, visitors will journey through the history of Piraeus and the club, discover unique exhibits, witness the evolution of the red-and-white jersey over time, reconnect with legends who left a lasting mark on the club, and admire its trophy wall. Fans, supporters, and all visitors will have the opportunity to relive Olympiacos’ epic victories in Greece and Europe, take interactive quizzes to learn more about the players and coaches, and even ‘explore’ the Rentis Training Center and “G. Karaiskakis” Stadium via specially-designed, state-of-the-art audiovisual applications.
The club’s incredible triumphs in the UEFA Europa Conference League and UEFA Youth League are brought to life in a dedicated space with both trophies proudly on display, as are the titles won by the club’s amateur sports and basketball teams in Greece and Europe. There is also a special section marking the Gate 7 tragedy in February 1981 – honoring the memory of the 21 people who tragically lost their lives – as well as a spotlight on the club’s charity work and social outreach.
A visit to the new and legendary Olympiacos FC Museum will be a special experience giving young and old an opportunity to learn or reminisce about Olympiacos' history, as well as to enjoy cutting-edge technology with 3D holograms and interactive games. Visitors of all ages will have the chance to experience the unique thrill of testing their goalscoring skills against the ‘Robokeeper’ and, thanks to state-of-the-art photo booths, snap their own Olympiacos moments.
From Passion Pictures, the triple Academy Award makers of Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, comes the story of Joan Rivers, made by Lucan director Colette Camden, and Oscar-winning editor Chris King, who brought us ‘Amy’ and ‘Senna’
The film is part of a growing slate from The Mediapro Studio US and Canada, which continues to expand its U.S. footprint including ‘Benny the Jet’, ‘The End of It’, and other anticipated projects
With unprecedented access to Joan’s own meticulously kept archives including newly unearthed home videos and hundreds of hours of previously unheard comedy recordings and audio tapes, alongside interviews with Joan’s family – including daughter Melissa – and closest confidantes, this hilarious (as-yet-untitled) feature documentary reveals the woman behind the punchlines; Mrs. Joan Rosenberg to those who knew her best. Told through a modern lens, this is a bold, emotional, and riotously funny portrait, as fearless and unfiltered as Joan herself.
Far from the steel-armored, impossibly quick-witted icon seen on stage, this film uncovers the private Joan: fiercely ambitious, unexpectedly vulnerable, and relentless in her pursuit of success on her own terms. It’s an epic tragicomedy; a cinematic tale of ambition, family, love, loss, and survival.
Joan’s story is one of an uncompromising woman who soared in the male-dominated world of standup and faced constant personal setbacks to achieve unparalleled fame. Even after losing everything, including her career and her husband, she fought her way back to the top, becoming the first woman to host a late-night talk show and one of the best stand-up comedians of our time.
Melissa Rivers said, “Now feels like the right time to look at why my mother’s voice still resonates today, and, more importantly, how that very distinctive voice came to be. Hers is not only a story of a trailblazer but of a real woman trying to navigate a life of conflicting desires, and how that shaped her hilarious view of the world.”
“It’s a career dream for all of us at Passion to tell Joan Rivers’ story”, said Hamish Fergusson of Passion Pictures. “It feels especially fitting to be working with her daughter Melissa and to have assembled such an exceptional team of partners and creative talent to honour a true trailblazer - continuing Passion’s ambition to tell the stories of the most influential cultural figures of our time, in the most creative ways possible.”
Colette Camden added, “As a director, it’s a dream opportunity to tell the story of one of the world’s most outrageous provocateurs. Joan was ruthless in her pursuit of comedy and took no prisoners, but now the discovery of her personal recordings allows us to explore a whole other side of this complex woman whose private self was tender and conflicted.”
“Joan Rivers was a revolutionary force in comedy and culture, and this documentary is a raw, funny, and human portrait of a legend who truly changed the game,” said Pam Healey, Head of Unscripted at The Mediapro Studio US & Canada. “We’re proud to help bring her story to life alongside the exceptional team at Passion Pictures with the depth and respect it deserves.”
This is Joan’s story, told in her own words: very rude, very real, and very funny.
The film is currently in production and is slated for release in 2026.
The documentary is directed by multi-award-winning Colette Camden (Lucan, The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker) and edited by Oscar-winning Chris King (Amy, Senna, Exit Through the Gift Shop).
It is produced by Caroline Sciama (Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar), Passion Pictures’ team: David Moulton, Emily Jeal and Hamish Fergusson (collectively behind Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar, and Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke), and THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO US & Canada’s Laura Fernández Espeso (The Good Boss, Official Competition, The Head).
From THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO Executive Producers are JC Acosta (The End of It, Sexy Beast) and Pam Healey (The Jet, Million Dollar Secret, Who Do You Think You Are?).
Line Producer is Pam Sealy.
‘Celeste’, a Movistar Plus+ original series co-produced by 100 Balas (THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO), created by Diego San José and directed by Elena Trape, continued its international winning streak this week with its presentation at the Italian Global Series Festival, where it won the awards for Best Series and Best Actress for Carmen Machi, both in the comedy category.
‘Celeste’, executive produced by Laura Fernández Espeso, Javier Méndez, Alejandro Flórez and Diego San José, for 100 Balas (THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO), and by Fran Araujo from Movistar Plus+, was one of the most popular series at the inaugural edition of the Italian international festival, which took place this week in the neighboring cities of Rimini and Riccione.
The awards presentation took place during the festival's closing ceremony, held on Saturday in Riccione, where Celeste showrunner and creator Diego San José received the award for Best Series and collected the Best Actress award on behalf of Carmen Machi.
This new dual recognition for ‘Celeste’ comes after the series triumphed at Series Mania, Europe's foremost TV co-production forum for series, held annually in Lille, where it also took out the awards for Best Series and Best Actress in the “International Panorama” selection.
The success of ‘Celeste’ began at the 2024 San Sebastian International Film Festival, where it was screened at the Velodrome to great public enthusiasm. The series was subsequently screened in the Official Selection of Serielizados Fest in Barcelona, where Diego San José received the award for Best Screenplay. Since then, ‘Celeste’ has continued to receive recognition, including, in addition to the aforementioned distinctions, awards such as the Fotogramas de Plata and the Almería International Film Festival (FICAL) award for Carmen Machi, as well as the Best Comedy award for the series. Likewise, at the Feroz Awards, ‘Celeste’ was awarded as Best Comedy Series, and Diego San José together with Daniel Castro and Oriol Puig -also screenwriters of the series-, received the Alma Award for Best Comedy Series Screenplay.
The Mediapro Studio Distribution is responsible for worldwide distribution of the series, with a second season already confirmed.
About ‘Celeste’
‘Celeste’ is a Movistar Plus+ original series in co-production with 100 Balas (THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO) created by Diego San José and directed by Elena Trapé. The first season, available in its entirety on Movistar Plus +, consists of six episodes written by Diego San José, Daniel Castro and Oriol Puig and stars Carmen Machi, Manolo Solo, Andrea Bayardo, Antonio Durán ‘Morris’, Aixa Villagrán, Clara Sans, Jesús Noguero and Marc Soler, among others.
