Eduardo Zebini, senior vice-president and chief content officer at pay-television broadcaster Fox Sports Brasil, has left his position and is set to take up another role in the sports media sector.
Zebini, who was heavily involved in the launch of the first Fox Sports Brasil channel in 2012, this week told staff of his decision to leave, according to various reports in Brazil.
The experienced executive is to take up a position managing CBF TV, the broadcast platform of the Brazilian Football Confederation, according to both UOL and Lance!.
It is claimed that Zebini will be replaced at Fox Sports Brasil by Marcio Moron, currently vice-president of production.
His exit comes as Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defence (Cade), the competition regulator, continues to review the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by the Walt Disney Company. In February 2019, Disney agreed to sell its Fox Sports channels in Brazil and Mexico as part of the process to complete the $71.3bn (€63.1bn) takeover of Fox’s entertainment assets.
Zebini joined Fox in 2011 after a stint as broadcasting general manager for organisers of the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil. He is previously the head of sports at Rede Record, the Brazilian free-to-air commercial broadcaster.
During his time at Fox Sports in Brazil, the broadcaster has held the rights to the likes of the Copa Libertadores, LaLiga and the Bundesliga, while Zebini also played a leading role in developing the Fox Sports Radio programme in Brazil.
Meanwhile, Fox Sports is close to signing off on an agreement for MotoGP rights in Brazil, according to O Grande Prêmio, the Brazilian motorsports website. Fox Sports already holds rights in the country to Formula E, Nascar and the FIM Endurance World Championship.
MotoGP rights were previously held in Brazil by SporTV, the Globosat-owned pay-television broadcaster.