Benfica launch own TV channel to broadcast home games

[H18sry]

LISBON, July 1 (Reuters) - Benfica TV became a pay channel on Monday and will be the sole broadcaster for the club's Portuguese Premier League home matches - a groundbreaking move among Europe's top clubs.
On top of a fee paid for a basic cable TV package, fans in Portugal will have to pay some 10 euros ($13) per month to watch the Lisbon club's matches played at the Luz stadium on television.
Club President Luis Filipe Vieira hailed the initiative as "historic" and said the deal meant that "Benfica became the first club in the world to fully exploit its TV rights".
Fans can subscribe to the channel through the country's two largest cable operators: Portugal Telecom and Zon. Angolan cable operator Zap will also offer it.
A club spokesman said Benfica were the first big European club to screen league games on their own pay TV channel.
Earlier this year, Benfica reached a deal with the English Premier League for exclusive screening rights in Portugal of the competition over the next three seasons.
Until now, some 70 percent of the broadcasting rights revenues estimated at 75 million euros per season have gone to the "big-three" soccer clubs - Benfica, Sporting and Porto.
As in neighbouring Spain, television contracts in Portugal are negotiated on a club-by-club basis, unlike in the English Premier League and Italy's Serie A, where collective bargaining deals are struck.


A great idea and only a tenner a month

[Treadstone]

The rich get richer...

[Leishy1995]

In the Turkish league, every win is worth 300k and a draw is 100k. They no doubt have the money spare to pay for this

[easty]

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In the Turkish league, every win is worth 300k and a draw is 100k. They no doubt have the money spare to pay for this

Benfica are from Portugal..

[H18sry]

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In the Turkish league, every win is worth 300k and a draw is 100k. They no doubt have the money spare to pay for this

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Benfica are from Portugal..

[allezsauzee]

The merricks must be gutted that we have collective bargaining in Scotland. £10 a month from each of their 400,000 fans would see the cash rolling in

[Jamesie]

Hibs were doing this 10 years ago!

[Leishy1995]

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Benfica are from Portugal..

Read it as Besiktas 😳

[Bristolhibby]

This is just a way of shafting the rest of football. As said the rich get richer and the poorer clubs get poorer.

Eventually you will have TV dominated by Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Chelsea.

They will play each other 7 times a season, with TV viewers subscribring to their team. All other clubs will have folded.

Apparantly the Dutch have a pay per view system, where you can watch any team at any ground live. The subscriptions are pooled and shared. Paradoxically their crowds have gone up!

Now theres a model.

J

[hibs4thecup1988]

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Hibs were doing this 10 years ago!

Did hibs not have a deal with a cable company called "live tv?"

[Billy Whizz]

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Did hibs not have a deal with a cable company called "live tv?"

Live TV used to broadcast from within the South Stand. They did many programmes including Topless darts, remember that

[DH1875]

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Live TV used to broadcast from within the South Stand. They did many programmes including Topless darts, remember that

The weather forecast was even better .