Concacaf, the governing body of football in the Caribbean, North America and Central America, has followed the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) in ending its commercial rights partnership with the Datisa joint venture company in relation to the 2016 Copa América Centenario national team tournament.
The original agreement between Concacaf and Datisa was signed under the governing body’s previous leadership in March 2014. Effective immediately the commercial rights are reassigned to Concacaf.
In a statement yesterday (Wednesday), Concacaf said: “Concacaf and Datisa have agreed to end their relationship for the sale of sponsorship and broadcast rights associated with Copa América Centenario. Concacaf will assume control of its commercial rights while it, Conmebol and their local operating partners identify and select new partners to market and sell the tournament’s commercial rights using a new and transparent process.”
Conmebol last week confirmed it had taken over control of broadcast and sponsorship rights to the Copa América Centenario from Datisa, the joint venture company made up of Traffic and the Full Play and Torneos agencies.
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 has been released 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.
The Bloomberg news agency said yesterday that Conmebol and Concacaf will seek to launch a short tender process for the commercial rights as soon as next week. US companies, which had previously been excluded, will reportedly be free to take part.
The Copa América Centenario is scheduled to be hosted by the US in June 2016 as part of an initiative by the two governing bodies to mark the centenary of Conmebol. It will be the first time that the event has been staged outside of Latin America, coming one year after the 2015 edition took place in Chile and three years before the 2019 tournament heads to Brazil.
In its statement on Wednesday, Concacaf stressed that the original commercial rights agreement with Datisa was exclusive to Copa América Centenario. Concacaf added: “It is the only agreement that existed between the two parties. The end of this relationship will not impact the marketing and operations of other Concacaf tournaments.”