Internacional signing adds to Esporte Interativo’s club portfolio

Internacional has become the third Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club to formally accept the offer submitted by sports broadcaster Esporte Interativo for the pay-television rights to the top division of Brazilian football.

The Porto Alegre club has agreed an initial two-year deal, covering the 2019 and 2020 seasons, with its statutes demanding that a longer partnership requires further deliberation by its council.

Esporte Interativo last month confirmed it had submitted a bid of BRL550m (€126m/$139m) per year to secure the Série A pay-television rights. The rights would cover six years, from 2019 to 2024.

Esporte Interativo said the offer was significantly higher than the BRL98m per year set to be offered by incumbent rights-holder, media company Globo, for the pay-television rights. Globo currently has the pay-television and free-to-air Série A rights until the end of the 2018 season.

Internacional joins Santos and Atlético Paranaense among the Série A clubs who have formally accept the offer submitted by Esporte Interativo, which is said to be targeting at least eight top-tier teams.