Conmebol analyzed a number of factors before defining Globo as the winner of its bid for the purchase of broadcasting rights for Libertadores in the cycle between 2023 and 2026.
In addition to solving a recent friction with the broadcaster, the entity considered the greater audience reach of the carioca channel compared to SBT, the current owner of the rights, in addition to the fact that Globo has accepted demands such as showing the sponsors of the competition during matches. and broadcast the final of the tournament even if there are no Brazilian teams present.
With the new attitude of the carioca broadcaster, the Conmebol Council gave the go-ahead to nominate the channel as the winner of the open bidding, in which the values ​​of the broadcasters’ proposals was not the only determining factor — the audience, for example, was also fundamental.
According to figures obtained by the report, Libertadores lost audience in the seasons in which it was shown on SBT. In 2020, for example, Globo showed five games from the first phase before terminating the contract and had an average of 26 points in São Paulo, the main advertising market in the country, a number identical to that obtained in 2019 and lower than in 2018, when the average was 28.
By taking over the rest of the 2020 edition, including the final, SBT recorded an average of 12 points in the tournament in which Palmeiras beat Santos in the decision in a single game, at Maracanã. Last year, Silvio Santos’ channel maintained the same average in the edition in which the alviverde team was again champion, now beating Flamengo in the final.
In the current edition, the last under the current contract, the broadcaster has been recording an average of 8 points in São Paulo.
The Brazilian television audience is measured by Kantar Ibope Media. Each point in São Paulo is equivalent to 76,577 households and 205,377 individuals.
According to the UOL portal, in the assessment of the Conmebol summit, as Globo started to accept showing sponsors, something that the São Paulo channel had already granted since the last cycle, having a greater audience reach is more attractive for partners. Currently, ten brands are linked to the competition: Ford, Amstel, Credicard, Gatorade, Santander, Rexona, Betfair, Qatar Airways, Bridgestone and EA Sports.
“The return to Globo is important for the visibility of the product [Libertadores]. The one that won the most in these two years was SBT, but the attempt to reconcile Globo and Conmebol was noticeable in the market”, says Bruno Maia, executive of innovation in sport and CEO of Feel The Match.
In October 2020, the two parties reached an agreement to settle a dispute brought to an arbitration court in Switzerland due to the channel’s unilateral decision to terminate the Libertadores 2020 bond, on the grounds that it had incurred financial losses during the crisis. caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Due to the breach of the agreement, however, the confederation required the broadcaster to pay a fine of US$ 120 million (R$ 606 million at the current price).
Before the case was judged in the arbitration court, however, the parties announced an agreement, without revealing the details, in addition to the intention of having the broadcaster again disputing the rights, mainly for the great audience of the carioca channel.
Even the finals with two Brazilian teams did not make SBT, at least, match Globo’s reach. In 2020, the Santos x Palmeiras final had an average of 25 points in São Paulo. The following year, Palmeiras x Flamengo recorded 27 points. In 2019, on Globo, Flamengo x River Plate scored 33 points.
“The difference in audiences is very big. Even more considering that it was two consecutive years of Brazilian finals and a huge dominance of the teams here”, points out Maia.
In the next cycle, even if the decision does not have Brazilian clubs, the carioca broadcaster has committed to showing the final. Between 1993 and 2020, when it also owned the rights, the broadcaster only aired the decisions of clubs in the country.
In 2018, for example, the Argentine classic between Boca Juniors and River Plate was not broadcast on open TV, being restricted to closed TV, by SporTV and Fox Sports.
In the 2023-2026 cycle, packages were split between ESPN (Disney) and Paramount (Viacom). Another package, the best moments, went to One Football.
The division of packages into subscription services keeps Libertadores in tune with the new scenario of broadcasting rights for sporting events, in which packages are increasingly fractioned.
The biggest example of this was seen in this year’s Campeonato Paulista. After moving house, leaving Globo for RecordTV, in a four-year contract, the competition also had its matches shown on YouTube, HBO Max, TNT Sports Stadium, Premiere and Paulistão Play.
“It’s a new era [nas transmissões esportivas]. The fight for audience is fiercer, bringing new players [canais e serviços] and the growing need to improve the viewer’s experience”, says Renê Salviano, CEO of sports marketing agency Heatmap.
In addition to Paulista, Globo also lost the Campeonato Carioca, which in 2021 and 2022 was shown on open TV by RecordTV.
On the internet, the state of Rio followed the model of Paulista with a series of options, such as the channels on Twitch do Gaules, Casimito and Ronaldo TV. On YouTube, there were also broadcasts on the Cariocão TV and Flow Sport Club channels.
In 2021, the Champions League was another tournament that moved houses in Brazil. With a contract signed for three years, SBT took over the European competition on open TV – the bond runs until 2024. .
Months after acquiring the European tournaments, SBT bought the 2021 Copa América, which had Brazil in the decision, won by Argentina, at Maracanã. Starting in 2023, the channel will also be home to the Copa Sudamericana, until 2026.
To regain space, also in May 2021, Globo announced the acquisition of broadcasting rights for all South American teams in the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers. and Argentina. In the competition, negotiations are made with each federation for the duels in which they play at home.
According to journalist Flávio Ricco, from R7, in the coming days the broadcaster should also announce the acquisition of the Nations League in Europe, which starts in June. Sought by the report, the broadcaster has not yet confirmed the purchase of the rights.
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