CBF takes fresh approach to broadcast rights for Brazil friendlies

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) is set to adopt a new means of broadcasting friendly matches played by its national team after electing not to award the rights to media group Globo.

Globo had held the rights to Brazil’s friendly games, but its deal expired at the end of 2016 and a new agreement has not been reached.

Brazil is due to face Argentina and Australia in friendly games in Melbourne on June 9 and June 13, respectively. The CBF has elected to assign television rights for the games to public-service broadcaster TV Brasil, while also live streaming the matches via its CBF TV platform.

The Maquina do Esporte website said CBF sponsors Vivo and Itau will also stream the games to mobile phones and online and via social media, respectively. Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo added that the national governing body is also in talks over a live streaming deal with social media platform Facebook.

In a statement reported by the Lance! newspaper, Globo said: “CBF had plans to negotiate the rights of the friendlies and the qualifiers of the 2022 (Fifa World) Cup in the form of bidding process (closed auction).

“Recently they decided to sell the two friendly matches in June on a piecemeal basis and although we do not believe that this is the best solution for all parties, we tried to negotiate but have not reached an agreement.”