LaLiga referees to earn almost 300,000 euros a year under new agreement

Spanish referees have secured a significant financial improvement through their integration into the game's broadcast product. The agreement negotiated between the Spanish Football Federation and the AESAF referees' union leaves a global rise of close to 500,000 euros per year, linked to the officials' presence in televised coverage starting this season.

• The overall rise for the refereeing group is around 500,000 euros per season.
• Each top-flight official will receive roughly 7,000 euros more per year.
• A LaLiga referee's total salary will approach 300,000 euros a season.
• The agreement runs from the 2026-2027 campaign through 30 June 2030.
• The increase covers pre-match interviews, dressing-room access and Refcam use.

How much a LaLiga referee earns under the new deal

The agreed improvement adds about 7,000 euros per year for each official. Once all components of referee fees are added together, the total salary of a top-flight referee will stand close to 300,000 euros per season. The increase is directly tied to the role the group now plays in television broadcasts.

Why referees are being paid more from broadcast rights

The agreement explicitly recognises the referee as part of the overall football product. Until now their involvement in the broadcast business had not been regulated with this level of clarity. Under the new terms, officials receive compensation for several elements that make up the modern match broadcast.

Pre-match interviews, dressing rooms and Refcam

The compensation covers the interviews referees give to television rights holders before matches. It also includes cameras entering the dressing rooms ahead of kick-off and the use of Refcam, the camera each official wears during games. All of this forms part of a broadcast package that is now remunerated specifically.

How the Spanish FA and AESAF negotiated the agreement

Talks between the Federation and the referees' union took place during the pre-season month of August. The improvements reached there have been set out in the current agreement, with a final signature imminent. The president of the Technical Committee of Referees, Fran Soto, had already outlined the details in a summer interview.

What the deal means for Spanish refereeing

The pact gives the group financial stability over the next four seasons. The rise of around 2.1% already agreed for the 2025-2026 campaign is now joined by the percentage linked to broadcast rights, taking the overall improvement close to three percent. Signing the agreement will close a negotiation cycle that leaves referees with a defined labour and salary framework until mid-2030.

The agreement explicitly recognises the referee as part of the overall football product.