By Samindra Kunti
January 9 – Vasco Da Gama president Eurico Miranda has criticised the TV rights structure in Brazilian football. He opposes what he calls the elitism and ‘Hispanisation’ of the domestic game with unequal shares of TV money widening the gap between clubs.
In Brazil’s top-flight TV rights are distributed to six groups of clubs. This model is based on negotiations between associations of clubs and TV Globo, which owns the nationwide rights to broadcast the games live. There is no longer a centralised TV deal for the Brasileiro.
Bottom of the TV rights pile are Coritiba, Goiás, Sport, Vitoria, Bahia and Atlético-PR who receive €8.5 million respectively in group six. Cruzeiro, Atlético Mineiro, Gremio, International, Fluminense and Botafogo are part of the fifth group and get €14.2 million each. Santos garner €20.5 million. Vasco and Palmeiras get a little more with €22 million. Sao Paulo receives €25.3 million. Group 1 is formed by Brazil’s two most popular clubs: Corinthians and Flamengo. They earn €34.7 million in TV rights.
Clubs negotiate their deals as part of their group affiliation individually with broadcasters with the smaller clubs like Vitoria and Bahia having more games of less value in the broadcast market than the better supported big two clubs of Corinthians and Flamengo.
Miranda has now appealed for the structure of TV rights distribution to be reorganised. Vasco da Gama were relegated to the second division in 2014 and are struggling financially. They want to rely on youth players to return instead of spending money to acquire new players.
“Brazil is going through a process of elitism,” said Miranda. “Football is for the people. A yuppie would drive [to the game] and park his car two meters from the elevator. In our culture, prestige is different from who goes to the stadium.”
Miranda is advocating a more balanced distribution of the TV rights, thereby securing a better financial future for his club. “The ‘Hispanization’ of Brazilian football is a serious thing,” said Miranda. “If you choose two clubs and give small money to the others, you have two clubs in the country and the rest are a support cast. But Vasco are not part of a support cast. Vasco are artists of the highest order.”
When Miranda, who is a colourful and controversial character in Brazilian football, talks about ‘Hispanization’ he is referring to Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, who earn huge sums with TV rights in Spain’s La Liga, while other clubs in the la Liga earn a fraction of their revenue. A balance that the Spanish are currently taking steps to redress, though not eradicte.
A discussion about the correct formula to divide the TV rights has begun in Brazil following a bill proposed by Raul Henry (deputado federal) at the end of 2014. He wants to equally distribute 50% of the TV rights among all the top-flight clubs, 25% would be based on ‘sporting merit’ and 25% based on the number of fans.
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