October 2 – The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) has defended its tender for the rights of the Mexican national team after a controversial extension with broadcaster Televisa and TV Azteca.
Last Friday the FMF announced that they had renewed their TV rights deal for the Mexican national team until after the 2026 World Cup with broadcasters Televisa and TV Azteca, but various media reported that NBC Universal/Telemundo and America Movil, owned by Mexican business magnate Carlos Slim, had submitted a far more lucrative joint proposal.
The previous contract with Televisa and TV Azteca contained an ‘automatic renewal clause’, preventing the FMF from considering other proposals. Liga MX clubs owners voted on the new deal with 12 voting in favour and four against. The clubs have a significant say in the operations of the FA in Mexico (Slim owns two clubs).
“We have come to an agreement that the renewal clause won’t exist in the future and we’ve been able to improve the terms substantially for the different markets,” said Santos Laguna owner Alejandro Irarragorri, who was part of the FMF’s commercialisation committee.
In a statement the FMF highlighted that “the economic benefit of the agreement tripled.”
“…It is essential to point out that in the winning bid the television stations increased the value for the FMF itself as well as for the sponsors of the national team and a better and greater coverage was obtained for the benefit of the audiences, the general public and the football fans in general,” wrote the FMF.
The statement also said that the “the automatic renewal clause of the contract was deleted.” In recent seasons, the Televisa-TV Azteca duopoly had been challenged at the level of the domestic league rights.
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