Brazilian broadcaster Globo is yet to reach a rights agreement with Campeonato Brasileiro Série A football club Flamengo for this year’s Campeonato Carioca state championship.
The previous agreement expired following the 2019 championship and Flamengo is reportedly seeking an improved deal for this year’s competition.
Flamengo is based in Rio de Janeiro and competes in the championship alongside the state’s other three other major clubs: Botafogo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama.
Globo has said it is open to continued discussions with Flamengo but admitted it would be difficult to reach an agreement for pay-television coverage.
The state federation in Rio would lose R$18m (€4m/$4.4m) if Globo does not seal a deal with Flamengo, according to the UOL Esporte portal. This amount would affect the 12 smaller clubs in the competition, with Botafogo, Fluminense and Vasco’s payments having been previously agreed in a separate agreement.
Globo told Observatório da Televisão: “There is a huge interest from Globo in Flamengo rights for the 2020 Carioca Campeonato, for all platforms – free-to-air TV, pay-TV, digital and PPV.
“We made a proposal to Flamengo along the same lines as we did to other clubs in Rio de Janeiro, respecting the market value of the competition, but unfortunately we have not yet been able to reach an agreement.
“On our side, we are open to dialogue, committed to the proposal of reaching an agreement that is good for everyone: clubs, federation, brands, platforms and fans. In recent years, we have engaged in various rights negotiations in which we aim for balance and meritocracy, both commercial and sporting. We believe we have taken important steps towards a more balanced and consistent (coverage of) Brazilian football.
“To give up on this search would be a setback in our evolution of a more collective system of rights valuation.”
Flamengo won the continental Copa Libertadores competition in November with a 2-1 victory over River Plate. The team finished second to Liverpool at the Fifa Club World Cup in December.