Costa Rican broadcaster Teletica has said it will retain exclusive television rights to the 2018 Fifa World Cup national team football tournament after failing to strike a sublicensing deal with fellow media group Repretel.
Teletica agreed a rights deal with world football’s governing body in 2015 and had sought an agreement for Russia 2018 with Repretel. However, Teletica spokesman Jorge Garro said talks had proved unsuccessful.
Garro told Costa Rican newspaper La Nacion: “In reference to the 2018 World Cup, we inform you that in meetings with Repretel and maintaining the same conditions of transmission and payments in other parts of the world, Repretel did not agree to share the rights, so we will maintain the exclusivity, except in radio, which we share with another issuer.”
Costa Rica could seal its place in Russia next year if it avoids defeat in a qualifying game against Honduras on October 6.