The Vietnam Professional Football (VPF) last weekend shocked the football industry by announcing that it has acquired the TV rights from digital TV provider AVG, who received the rights in a controversial deal that ignited a four-month long TV rights battle.

In what remains a sudden and mysterious move, VPF chairman Vo Quoc Thang and two deputy chairmen, Nguyen Duc Kien and Doan Nguyen Duc, all confirmed at a press briefing held yesterday that they now have the right to exploit the TV rights which the Vietnam Football Federation exclusively awarded AVG in a 20-year deal.

“While the contract between VFF and AVG is only worth VND6 billion a year, VPF will earn at least VND100 billion (US$4.8 million) a year for Vietnamese football and I confirm that this can be achieved as of the beginning of next year,” deputy chairman Duc told reporters.

“The three involved parties, VFF, AVG, and VPF, will meet for the last time on April 23 to ink a new contract to transfer the TV rights,” said Kien.

Meanwhile, AVG chairman Pham Nhat Vu told Tuoi Tre on April 20 that they will withdraw from the rights game unconditionally.

Vu reiterated his statement that if someone can provide a great benefit to national football better than AVG, the TV provider will be willing to invite that someone to take the post.

“AVG’s board of directors all agreed that AVG should not insist on pursuing the deal if VPF can do better for Vietnamese football,” said Vu.

US$4.8 million per year

Kien said VPF will mobilize 10 of the country’s leading businesses, whose minimum annual profits are VND1 trillion, to form a board of sponsors for Vietnamese football.

VPF has proposed that TV stations set aside 20 minutes during the broadcast of the football leagues to run ads.

Each business on the board of sponsors has to pay VPF VND10 billion a year to air their ads during a designated period in every match.

There are already 10 businesses that are willing to join in the board, said Kien.

VPF wants to reap at least VND50 billion a year, while the target is VND100 billion a year.

“The targeted full annual revenue is between VND300-500 billion, and the football clubs and national squads will benefit from this,” said Kien.

Kien added that VPF has acquired the TV rights from AVG without having to pay the latter a single penny.

“[TV rights] will belong to VPF before the 15th round [of the league],” he confirmed.

Source: Tuoi Tre