MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Discrimination-free” and when possible “free-of-charge” soccer in Argentina

AFA ends agreement with private channel and will receive 6 billion pesos in ten years from the Argentine government.

The Argentine Football Federation Executive Committee agreed Tuesday to end the contract that for two decades had united AFA with television company Televisión Satelital Codificada, owner of the television rights for Argentina’s soccer.

Ernesto Cherquis Bialo (photo), AFA spokesman, announced the decision at Ezeiza headquarters, and confirmed that “the rights held by TSC have been finalized at this moment by the unanimous criteria of the Executive Committee of the AFA.”

The AFA will “take responsibility for the consequences of this rupture,” he explained. The contract was ended because “TSC failed to carry out” its contractual agreements“. He also added that there were no ”government ties or ties with Channel 7 to this situation.“

The AFA proposes ”discrimination-free soccer and, wherever possible, free-of-charge soccer,“ according to the spokesman of the Argentine soccer organization. He added that ”the programming for the first game of the tournament will be looked into next week, as well as the programming for ascending teams' divisional games.”

The soccer club presidents were at the headquarters for a meeting with the head of the Argentina Soccer Association (AFA), Julio Grondona.

TSC had the exclusive television rights until 2014 and paid AFA 268 million Argentine pesos (76 million US dollars) per football season. According to the new agreement AFA will receive 6 billion pesos in ten years (600 million annually). The money will be provided by the Argentine government.

Before the meeting, spokesman for Argentine soccer Ernesto Cherquis Bialo said that it would be a “historic day,” although he did admit that he was unsure about the meeting's result.

The Executive Committee's meeting had the task of “resolving” the contractual relations between the AFA and television. Representatives from the 20 first division teams were also present, as well as representatives from the four ascending teams.