Football streaming platform MyCujoo has agreed a deal with OTT streaming service DAZN for domestic rights to Campeonato Brasileiro Série C, with the agreement granting the third tier of Brazilian club football complete broadcast coverage for the first time in its history.
The contract covers the delayed 2020 Série C season, and was signed ahead of the start of the campaign on Saturday.
DAZN will retain control of the rights it first acquired in April 2019, and will maintain match picks and continue to show four exclusive matches per round, in addition to all games from the second phase of the league.
MyCujoo has acquired the rights to broadcast up to six fixtures per match round. It will charge R$4.99 (€0.79/$0.93) per match in a pay-per-view model.
Sérgio Floris, vice-president of rights at DAZN, said: “We are very happy to be able to confirm that we guarantee 100 per cent transmission of Série C this season, mainly in view of the conditions imposed by the (Covid-19) pandemic, which inhibits the presence of the fans in the stadiums.
“Série C has never had all of its matches broadcast, and this guarantee is the result of the joint efforts of our partners, CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation), and DAZN itself, in addition to being an important step towards enhancing the championship.”
Terence Gargantini, MyCujoo director in Brazil and Latin America, said: “We’re truly thrilled to have helped find a solution together with the CBF and DAZN that enables the hugely passionate fans of Série C clubs to watch their teams in action. With the Covid-19 pandemic limiting the ability of fans to go to their stadium, it’s now even important to find innovative ways for them to follow the team they love safely and engage with supporters.
“We know from our experience in delivering Série D that the platform provides an opportunity for fans to become even closer to their teams, with key match highlights and recaps available instantly at a user’s fingertips. Importantly this arrangement will also support the sustainability of Brazilian football, providing clubs with an alternative revenue stream when ticketing income has been heavily impacted.”
MyCujoo has an existing presence in Brazilian football. Internationally, Série A club Flamengo signed a rolling one-match broadcast deal with the platform for the 2020 Campeonato Carioca state championship.
The demand for coverage of the Flamengo-Boavista semi-final was such that MyCujoo encountered technical issues in processing fans’ payments. The platform was charging R$10 for access to the stream inside of Brazil and $8 (€6.79) outside of Brazil.
The game was not scheduled to be broadcast on club TV channel FlaTV but a late decision was made after the MyCujoo payment provider appeared to be overwhelmed by the demand.