RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – After closing the purchase of the broadcasting rights of the Copa Libertadores until 2022, SBT now has a new goal for its sports package: Formula 1. Sources reported that Silvio Santos’ station has begun negotiations with Liberty Media, the company in charge of the most prominent car racing category broadcasts.
Globo’s contract with Formula 1 expires at the close of the 2020 season, and the station has already confirmed that it will not renew the agreement. The ratings leader did not accept to pay what the North American group asked for, made other offers, but the negotiation did not progress.
As was the case with the Libertadores, negotiations between SBT and the owner of the Formula 1 rights are being conducted by José Roberto Maciel, the station’s vice-president. However, unlike the South American soccer competition, F1 is not a unanimity among Silvio Santos’ executives, but the VP is trying to enable the deal.
First hired for SBT’s new sports team, sportscaster Téo José is experienced and known by the audience that follows motor racing. The sportscaster’s name was prioritized by the directors of the station precisely because he has ties with both soccer and motor racing.
With stints on Fox Sports (the channel he worked for before SBT), Band and RedeTV!, Téo José has already led Formula Indy, Formula E, Formula Truck, and Nascar broadcasts.
In its negotiations with Liberty Media, SBT can use the same card that helped it conquer Libertadores: greater TV space for the Formula 1 sponsors.
In addition to failing to reach an agreement on the figures, Liberty Media wanted Globo to include training and qualifying sessions in its free programming, which today are broadcast only on pay-TV (SporTV, owned by Globo); the podium ceremony, is also restricted to the pay-TV website. But the audience leader dug in its heels.
Source: UOL