By Paul Nicholson
October 26 – After a week of clearing out existing sports agencies, the 2016 Copa America Centenario will take place in the US with the US federation effectively taking central control of the tournament from marketing rights to ground selection.
From the minute that the US department of Justice arrests in Zurich in May cleaned out the top management tier of CONCACAF and CONMEBOL over allegations of bribery and money laundering, the future of the Copa Centenario in the US looked doubtful with a bulk of the US indictments relating directly to the organisation of the tournament and its marketing rights.
The US took a step back from hosting until CONMEBOL and CONCACAF (which is now effectively US controlled via its contracted US advisors), could come up with a solution that broke the old relationships and provided what a press release calls “a strengthened and transparent governance structure for managing and executing the historic football event.”
The new deal will undoubtedly see many of the same broadcast partners, especially from South and Central America, but has been crafted out of a mix for a need for improved transparency and governance (to the satisfaction of the US in particular), and some hard ball negotiation from the US.
A new Executive Committee for the tournament will be made up of two representatives from CONMEBOL, two from CONCACAF, and one from U.S. Soccer. Their role will be to manage the tournament’s day-to-day operations and finances. U.S. Soccer will effectively run the show as the local organising committee, regarding funds collected, including ticketing, broadcasting and sponsorships.
A joint CONCACAF and CONMEBOL statement said: “We are extremely happy for our fans, our teams and our partners, that we were able to find a way to host the Copa America Centenario celebration in the United States under an entirely new structure for managing the tournament’s operations and finances. The improved governance structure will bring greater accountability and transparency to the event so it can serve its two intended purposes – to celebrate the 100 years of history of Copa America, and provide a once in a lifetime spectacle for fans in the CONCACAF and CONMEBOL regions.”
Putting the provision of a “lifetime spectacle” aside – the first time this tournament has been played outside its continent and in its centennial edition – the real attraction of hosting in the US is the perceived uplift in commercial revenues. But for the US to come back on-board there had to be a removal of the existing rights holder.
This was achieved with both CONCACAF and CONMEBOL ending their broadcast and sponsorship relationships with Datisa – one of the marketing companies at the centre of the US indictments.
The next stage is for the reformed group to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for new commercial partners to market these rights. The three entities say they will immediately begin securing venues for the tournament and planning the operational aspects of the event – a formula that CONCACAF has real expertise in for its own events.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734803739labto1734803739ofdlr1734803739owedi1734803739sni@n1734803739osloh1734803739cin.l1734803739uap1734803739