Government-controlled channels GamaTV and TC Televisión have agreed to pay debts related to their rights deals for the Primera Categoría Serie A and Serie B, the top tiers of domestic football, according to the Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF).
The FEF has said the decision by the broadcasters has come following intervention by Lenín Moreno, President of Ecuador.
The FEF said, in a statement reported by the EFE news agency: “(The channels) have committed to make a very important payment to the debt they maintain with the Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) on July 15 and until mid-October to regularise monthly payments.”
The debts accumulated by GamaTV and TC Televisión are said to amount to $3.6m (€3.01m).
Pan-regional pay-television broadcaster GolTV last month agreed a 10-year deal with the FEF to become the new rights-holder of Primera Categoría Serie A and Serie B. The contract will run from 2018 to 2027, with FEF president Carlos Villacís Naranjo stating the deal will be worth more than $276m.
The FEF had been hoping to end its existing agreement with government-controlled channels Ecuador TV, GamaTV and TC Televisión due to issues over late payments.
The five-year agreements run from 2013 to 2017, but the government came to terms with the FEF that the deal would run until its planned expiry at the end of this year.