Argentine football clubs have approved a settlement offer made by the government to dissolve the Fútbol para Todos platform as officials prepare to hear the latest proposals from broadcasters for the rights to the domestic game.
Argentine newspaper Clarín said a meeting held yesterday (Monday) saw representatives of 21 clubs offer their backing to the government’s offer, which will comprise 880 million pesos (€51.4m/$55.2m) in total, 530 million pesos of which is designed as compensation for the termination of the FPT contract.
Under FPT, the government paid to ensure the top-tier Primera División was shown on free-to-air television. The FPT contract was due to run until September 1, 2019, but has been cancelled by the government.
Monday’s meetings were the first in what is set to be a pivotal week for the future of club football in Argentina. The government’s proposal will be discussed further at meetings scheduled for Wednesday, during which US media companies Fox and Turner, as well as sports broadcaster ESPN, will hold further talks over their proposals for the rights to domestic football.
It emerged last week that Fox and Turner are set to put forward an improved offer for the broadcast rights to the Primera División. Fox and Turner have not moved from an initial offer worth a basic 2.2 billion pesos per year, which was lodged in November. Clubs are said to have demanded 3.5 billion pesos per year for the rights, plus additional revenue based on a number of different factors.
The new offer is reportedly said to be for five seasons, from 2017-18 to 2021-22, and will come into effect in August. It will reportedly include a basic 2.5 billion pesos per season, with 500 million pesos paid according to metrics such as ratings and subscriber figures and a further 300 million pesos for streaming rights. Argentine news agency Télam said the 3.5 billion pesos figure will be made up with a sponsorship deal worth 200 million pesos with telecommunications group Claro.
Nicolás Russo, president of Lanús and one of the key figures in the rights talks, said he is confident that agreements can be reached. He said, according to Clarín: “If the proposed TV (offers) are good and we terminate well with the state, I am optimistic that we will have football again.”