Austrian commercial broadcaster ATV surprised the local market by outbidding public-service broadcaster ORF for the rights for the Austrian national football team’s away qualifying matches for the 2014 Fifa World Cup, in a deal reported to be worth between €2m ($2.6m) and €3m, according to local media.
ORF thought the asking price for the rights was too high and was not interested in the other rights which the Kentaro agency, the seller, wanted to bundle into the deal. Hans-Peter Trost, ORF’s head of sport, said it would have been “irresponsible” to have met the asking price with licence-fee payers’ money. Kentaro said after the deal was completed that the national team rights had also been available to buy separately.
ATV’s package includes, alongside the national team matches, 25 of the 30 matches from Austria’s qualifying group, and the next 10 matches of the Brazilian national team’s world tour. Kentaro is the exclusive marketing partner of the Brazil world tour. The deal also includes boxing matches organised by the promoter Wilfried Sauerland.