Brazilian Championship Broadcast: A New Era in Brazilian Football?

Major broadcasters, such as Globo, are going through a period of transformation when it comes to the collective sale of the Brasileirão broadcasting rights. For them, this represents an important milestone in the market’s structure.

What’s going on?

Recently, these channels submitted their views to the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (Cade), which is keeping an eye on the state of Brazilian football and how it may affect competition. Globo believes that the joint sale of the broadcasting rights for the Série A could be the best way to increase the value of the Brazilian Championship and generate more revenue for the clubs, provided that this does not interfere with their autonomy and keeps competition at a healthy level.

Why is collective selling appealing?

• Clarity and predictability: Globo highlights that treating the tournament as a whole helps better structure the sales packages and ensures a more stable commercial exploitation.
• Economics: Other broadcasters such as ESPN, SBT, CazéTV, and Band also commented that joint selling can reduce costs and strengthen the football product.

But not everything is rosy. Some representatives raised questions about the possibility of power concentration and how that could affect flexibility in scheduling.

The broadcasters’ positions

CazéTV was very clear in supporting the collective selling model. For them, centralized negotiation was a “helping hand” that allowed them to establish themselves in the national landscape. Without it, the chances of securing Brasileirão broadcasting rights on a significant scale would be much more complicated.

On the other hand, ESPN pointed out that collective selling makes it easier to discuss values and revenue sharing, but it also comes with a downside. They feel that freedom to build a diversified programming lineup ends up disappearing. “With the consolidation of broadcasting rights, it becomes difficult to acquire the rights to specific matches,” they commented.

SBT presented its view, saying that although collective selling may make it easier to create a scalable and diversified product, everything depends on how it is organized. They were concerned about the possibility that the rights could be grouped excessively, which could give too much power to buyers and leave smaller acquirers aside.

Band noted that the joint sale brings security, especially by preventing a buyer from being left without the broadcast of important games. However, they also warned that centralization can increase costs and reduce available options if the rights end up in the hands of a few with decision-making power.

What’s on everyone’s mind?

In summary, this new phase of commercializing broadcasting rights can bring several advantages to Brazilian football, but it also raises issues that need to be thought through very carefully. The debate is only just beginning, and the involvement of everyone involved will be essential to define the next steps and how this will impact the future of our beloved football!