Satellite pay-television operator VSTV has started talks with the IMG agency over acquiring rights in Vietnam for the English Premier League, the top division of football in the country, according to the VietmanNet news website.
“We are in the process of negotiating with IMG but we have not purchased the television rights for English Premier League yet,” VSTV chief executive Cao Van Liet said.
The report said that VSTV commenced negotiations with IMG after the agency was unable to agree a deal with the Association of Vietnamese pay-TV Service Providers, an organisation that has been established with the support of the ministry of information and communications to help counter spiralling sports-rights fees in the country.
The ministry had asked the association to negotiate directly with IMG on behalf of all Vietnamese broadcasters.
The report added that VSTV believes it can negotiate directly with IMG as it was not invited to participate in the talks between the broadcasters’ association and the agency.
The rights will run for three years, from 2013-14 to 2015-16, and IMG wants to recoup a total of at least $37.5 million (€28 million) through the sales process.