May 13 – GolTV, the pay-television broadcaster that holds domestic rights to Ecuador’s top-tier Serie A, faces losing its lucrative contract as a 15-day countdown begins for them to pay clubs outstanding rights fees.
GolTV has a 10-year deal in place worth a minimum guarantee of $314 million (€291 million), but has allegedly not made any broadcast-related payments since September 2023.
As a result, some sides have been left unable to pay their players.
Signed in 2017, the deal still has over three years until expiration.
The 16 Serie A clubs met in Guayaquil on May 9 for an unprecedented session of the council of presidents where they ruled that “GolTV will be notified so that within the contractual period of 15 working days it complies with the payments owed”.
That would signal May 24 as the deadline.
In the days leading up to the council of presidents meeting, GolTV president Carlos Moyano forwarded a letter to league headquarters suggesting “a formal reconfiguration of the contract terms,” attributing the need for change to a decrease in the number of championship dates, a decline in cable TV subscribers, and piracy concerns.
Serie A president Miguel Ángel Loor, has defended GoITV by insisting the deal with the broadcaster “will not be terminated” and assured clubs that talks will continue with the company to ensure payments are made.
After last week’s meeting, Nataly Villavicencio, president of Deportivo Cuenca, told local media: “The priority is solutions. Lately we haven’t been receiving anything, for the economy of all the clubs it’s a big blow not to have the television rights… They owe us seven months, it’s a significant value. We owe the players two months [wages].”
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1731723363labto1731723363ofdlr1731723363owedi1731723363sni@g1731723363niwe.1731723363yrrah1731723363