The South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) has taken over control of broadcast and sponsorship rights to the 2016 Copa América Centenario national team tournament.
The move ends a partnership with Datisa, the joint venture company made up of Traffic and the Full Play and Torneos agencies, for the commercial rights to the centenary edition of the Copa América, which is due to take place in the US next year.
“Conmebol and Datisa have agreed to rescind all the commercial rights that Datisa had for the sale of sponsorship and rebroadcasts associated with the Copa América Centenario,” a Conmebol statement said.
“Conmebol will take control of those commercial rights while they together with the Concacaf (governing body of football in North and Central America and the Caribbean) and the United States Soccer Federation will identify new partners to sell the tournament's commercial rights through a new and transparent process.”
Three of the main shareholders in Datisa were among those indicted by the US in May during the crackdown on corruption in world football. The US indictment said the three men conspired to win and retain lucrative media rights contracts from regional football federations through the payment of up to $110m (€96.7m) in bribes.
The three – Alejandro Burzaco, Hugo Jinkis and his son Mariano Jinkis – are all Argentine citizens. Burzaco has been extradited to the United States and is out on bail after pleading not guilty. The Jinkises have been released from house arrest but cannot leave their places of residence longer than 24 hours without a judge’s authorisation.