Do you remember your reaction when you turned on the TV to your usual channel and didn't see games that used to be broadcast there? These last few years have been full of changes in sports broadcasting in Brazil. We've seen the Olympics on Globo and also on Record, not to mention the soccer games that have been on Band, SBT, or Globo.
But what is the reason for all these changes? It all happens due to contracts and the purchase of broadcasting rights by the channels. The process of acquiring broadcasting rights is often called a bidding war, which is certainly true; after all, channels fight amongst themselves to win the right to broadcast a particular competition.
Football in Brazil
In recent seasons of the Brazilian Championship, we have seen that some teams had exclusive contracts with... subscription channels for the broadcasting of their matches. Or alternatively, laws stipulating that the home team could choose how the game would be broadcast.
But the competition for major championships on free-to-air television channels didn't stop, resulting in a significant shift in the "football broadcaster in Brazil." Currently, SBT broadcasts five major championships: Libertadores, Champions League, Europa League, Copa América, and Copa do Nordeste.
For many football fans, it may have been a shock not to see an important game of their favorite team on Globo, which for many years broadcast the biggest football championships. Today, the network holds the broadcasting rights for the Brazilian Championship (Series A and B), Copa do Brasil, regional championships, national team games, and the Club World Cup.
Speeding up on another channel
Globo's Sundays are... We already know that things are changing.However, one thing we can't forget is that this schedule change also happened at the start of the Formula 1 season. The broadcasting rights for the biggest motor racing championship passed to Band this year, and this was a change that also impacted the team.
Journalists, narrators, and commentators who worked exclusively covering sports migrated to the network along with Ferrari, Mercedes, and others. I take the liberty of saying that this maneuver worked very well for Band, as they started broadcasting with a group that had a great deal of knowledge and experience in sports.
Streaming + football
Disney is poised to take another step into the world of streaming with the launch of Star+, which includes the sports channels ESPN and Fox Sports. The group is taking the power of football with its audience so seriously that it has just added another major European league to its programming.
Disney will hold the broadcasting rights for the Italian football championship until 2024. The announcement was made after beating TNT Sports, Globo, and Band, who were the current holders of the championship's rights in Brazil.
The American giant holds the rights to major European championships: Premier League (England), League One (France), La Liga (Spain), and now the Italian Championship. In addition to broadcasting on subscription channels, the transmission of European championships has become a major selling point in the promotion of Star+.
One thing we can't deny is that the variety of channels and championships to watch on Brazilian TV has only increased. Tell us in the comments which championship you won't miss a single match of.
