Atresmedia defends 'AlaZ' as Mediaset sues over Pasapalabra format

After the Spanish Supreme Court ordered Antena 3 to stop broadcasting the classic "El Rosco" round of the quiz show Pasapalabra, Atresmedia and ITV Studios introduced a replacement called "AlaZ" on 19 June. The new segment uses a horizontal layout of the alphabet, 110‑second response limits, individual cabins for the two contestants, the option to ask for clues and the ability to choose the order of letters.

Mediaset, together with the Dutch rights holder MC&F, filed a lawsuit claiming that AlaZ retains "insurmountable similarities" with the protected El Rosco format, which they own following a Supreme Court decision. They argue that the core mechanics – two contestants answering alphabet‑based questions under time pressure for a cumulative prize – remain substantially the same.

Atresmedia counters that AlaZ is an independent development licensed from the Swiss format DallAZetA and that the graphic "rosco" element is absent. The company says the alleged resemblances are generic genre conventions and that the case is an attempt by Mediaset to monopolise alphabet‑based games. The dispute remains unresolved and legal proceedings continue.