Expanded Primeira Liga set for rights tender

Organisers of Brazilian club football tournament the Primeira Liga are set to explore a tender process for the broadcast rights to the second edition of the competition, which will expand in 2017.

The inaugural Primeira Liga was held from January 27 to April 20. Twelve clubs competed with Fluminense winning the first title.

The addition of Chapecoense, Joinville and Paraná is set to swell membership to 15 clubs in 2017 with a proposed calendar of January 22 through to March 29.

Primeira Liga chief executive Jose Sabino said a tender process will be examined for future editions of the competition.

He told Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo: “Globo is naturally interested, we have talked to Esporte Interativo and will listen to others. It may be Fox or ESPN. We will have individual conversations to put together a model and see what interests broadcasters.”