CHIVAS
Amazon increase offer to secure Chivas’ broadcast rights
Sources claim that Prime Video have upped their original offer in their bid to be able to broadcast the Guadalajara side’s Liga MX home games.
Amazon Prime Video are committed to securing the television broadcast rights for one of the biggest names in Liga MX, Chivas de Guadalajara. Sources now claim that the media giant are set to increase their original offer for all domestic league home games with Chivas set to become the highest paid side in Mexican soccer for broadcast rights should the deal be completed.
During previous weeks, a figure of 20 million dollars annually in exchange for the transmission rights (only in Mexico) emerged as Amazon’s opening bid with US rights sold separately and currently the ‘Sacred Flock’ has an agreement in place with Telemundo with the company set to pay another 20 million dollars per season.
Now, sources close to the negotiations claim that Amazon has decided to increase its initial offer in the hope that Chivas will end their ties with Televisa by offering a reported figure between 25 and 28 million dollars per year. In addition, the company has also requested that Guadalajara Femenil be included in the package, a move that would also impact on current rights holders Fox Sports.
The negotiations come at a time when Chivas’ long standing ties with Televisa are coming to an end and it’s common knowledge that Emilio Azcárraga’s company pays other club’s higher rights rates so Guadalajara’s management are holding out for the best offer for the institution.
Changing landscape of Liga MX broadcast rights
Amazon is anxious to penetrate the lucrative Mexican soccer market in the search of key content and rumours are also rife that the media giant is also trying to lure Tigres on board. The Nuevo Leon outfit are one of the most recent successful sides in Liga MX and have their current home game rights tied up with Televisa.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that the new leadership of the Mexican Soccer Federation and Liga MX are looking for a company solvent enough to sell the broadcast rights of all the teams as a package. This model is the way that rights for major European leagues are sold such as the English Premier League or LaLiga with suggestions that Apple TV could be as an option as per MLS Season Pass.
However, as things stand, there are more questions than answers to the complicated manner in which Mexican clubs tie up their own broadcast deals with many clubs happy to carry on with a growing number starting to push for a centralised rights deal package alternative.