The Football Association of Malaysia has announced that three companies are in contention to acquire the broadcast rights to the M-League, the top division of Malaysian football, for the next four years.
Pay-television operator Astro’s current four-year deal with the FAM, worth a reported RM120m (€25.5m/$35.9m), is set to expire this year.
Speaking at the FAM finance and executive committee meeting, the national governing body’s general secretary Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin said three companies will make their final bid proposals next month.
The Star newspaper said Fox Sports Asia, the regional subsidiary of 21st Century Fox’s broadcast arm Fox International Channels, and Malaysian integrated media investment group Media Prima are two of the parties in the running.
The Star added that the asking price for the rights per season stands at RM50m, meaning a broadcast revenue increase of RM80m over the four years.
Hamidin said: “Definitely there would be an increase in the valuation of the M-League. This is the norm everywhere in the world. We have three companies in the final stage of the bidding process which will be held in March.”