Mediapro has bought the television rights to broadcast Formula One in Spain from 2009 to 2013, the Spanish media group said on Tuesday.

The rights currently belong to Telecinco and regional channel TV3.

Last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix logged more than 6 million viewers, or 47 percent of the market, Mediapro said.

Mediapro, an affiliate of WPP Group, is a group of audiovisual companies and a major shareholder in the TV channel La Sexta. Last year it bought the television soccer rights for both Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Spain's Fernando Alonso, who joined McLaren from Renault at the end of last year, has been Formula One world champion for the past two seasons.