The Vietnam Professional Football Company (VPFC), the commercial arm of the Vietnam Football Federation, has settled a dispute with AVG over the digital broadcaster’s rights deal for the federation’s league and cup competitions, according to the Vietnam Bridge news website.
Nguyen Duc Kien, the vice-chair of VPFC, said that a deal had been reached with AVG on April 14 after a meeting with the broadcaster’s president, Pham Nhat Vu.
VPFC had been attempting to reduce the term and increase the value of the broadcaster’s 20-year rights deal, from 2011 to 2031, which was agreed by the federation before its commercial arm was established in December 2011.
Earlier this year, VPFC asked the country’s ministry of culture, sports and tourism to review AVG’s deal. When the ministry in February cleared the deal of any irregularities, VPFC threatened to take the matter to court. VPFC will not pursue this legal action following the new settlement.
VPFC had also called for the 20-year deal to be revised so that public-service broadcaster VTV was able to show more games. This issue was resolved in March when AVG agreed to share its rights with VTV and state-owned satellite broadcaster VTC. VTV will hold 40 per cent of the rights, with VTC and AVG each having 30 per cent.