Mauricio Méndez, the chief executive of the Liga del Fútbol Profesional Boliviano, the Bolivian football league, has said that a proposed rights deal with state-owned telecommunications company Entel will not be completed by the start of the 2013 season later this month.
Méndez, who negotiated the deal directly with Entel, has been unable to secure approval from the league’s 12 clubs to ratify the renewal of the domestic rights for five years, from 2013 to 2017.
“We understand that Entel has made requests to the league that we cannot meet, but they have their rights, just as we have,” Méndez said. “We will be patient and invite all national broadcasters to express an interest in signing with us. Right now there is no contractual offer for the league that is attractive enough to sign. So we will start the season with unsold television rights. If in 15 days or a month there appears to be a company interested then we will meet, but the conditions should favour both sides.”
The league has scheduled the first round of the season to kick off on January 14 – one day later than planned under the proposed Entel agreement.