SporTV and Fox Sports Brasil to share football programming

Brazilian pay-television channel SporTV has agreed a deal with rival Fox Sports Brasil to exchange some domestic football rights, according to the Meio e Mensagem news website.

Under the agreement, Fox Sports Brasil will hand SporTV rights to second-choice games from the Copa Libertadores South American club football competition in exchange for rights to the Campeonato Série A, the top division of football in Brazil. The five largest pay-television audiences in Brazil in May were for Copa Libertadores matches, according to the Portal Imprensa website. Next year’s tournament will feature Brazilian clubs such as Corinthians, Palmeiras, Fluminense and Grêmio.

The agreement is expected to be signed soon. SporTV is owned by Brazilian media group Globo. Fox Sports Brasil is owned by Fox Sports, a subsidiary of US network Fox. Fox Sports Brasil launched in Brazil earlier this year.