As Sport.pl found out, TVP, despite the difficult beginning of the year and the chaos related to organizational changes, is currently finalizing negotiations with Viaplay for the rights to show the knockout phase of the Europa Conference League matches. Of course, we are talking about the matches of Legia Warszawa, which returns to European competition in February.
This is to be TVP’s first valuable football contract since the station underwent personnel changes in management positions. Let us recall that in December, Tomasz Sygut, by decision of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, replaced Mateusz Matyszkowicz as president of the public broadcaster. At the station’s headquarters on Woronicza Street, there were also disturbances in many editorial offices, including the sports one. Krzysztof Zieliński, the manager of TVP Sport, appointed half a year ago, was replaced by former spokesman and team manager of the Polish national team, Jakub Kwiatkowski.
Difficult times and talks with Viaplay
During personnel changes, confusion in television buildings, protests, communication chaos and public disputes between the “old team” and the new one, it was difficult for the editorial office to function normally, let alone make strategic decisions or conduct negotiations regarding the purchase of television rights. Fortunately, recent weeks have been calmer, and according to our information, TVP authorities were conducting talks with Viaplay representatives regarding a sublicense for Legia Warszawa matches in European Conference League (LKE). The capital club advanced to the 1/16 finals in this competition.
Let us remind you that the previous group matches of Kosta Runjaić’s team were shown on LKE TVP thanks to an agreement with Viaplay. We managed to negotiate with the Scandinavian platform so that the public broadcaster could show both home and away matches of the Legionnaires. It was similar in the case of Raków Częstochowa matches in the Europa League. It was a more attractive contract for TVP viewers than those concluded in previous years. Then, the Scandinavian broadcaster only agreed to broadcast home matches of our cup winners in exchange for a license fee and the production of a signal from them. The platform took advantage of the archaic nature of the Polish Broadcasting Act, which does not contain any provisions stating that LKE matches involving Polish teams must be broadcast on open television. Moreover, as media law experts told us, Viaplay is not subject to this act because it is not a “television program broadcaster”.
Perhaps also due to financial problems and the decision to leave the Polish market, Viaplay shared the rights with TVP to all “Polish” matches in LKE and LE this season.
Negotiations being finalized, announcement soon?
However, the contract for the 2023/24 season ended in December after the group stage. Legia’s promotion meant that a new agreement had to be negotiated. This has also happened in recent weeks. As we heard, the negotiations are being finalized, so we can assume that after signing the contract, TVP will soon provide fans with good information.
According to our information, as before, both home and away matches were negotiated. Legia’s first match will be away against Molde on February 15 at 6:45 p.m. The rematch exactly a week later in Warsaw at 9 p.m.
According to our further information, possible matches in the 1/8 finals of LKE were also discussed during the negotiations. These will take place on March 7 and 14. There are many indications that if Legia were promoted, the sublicense would be extended quite easily for another round.
Let us remind you that in the last season Lech Poznań reached the quarterfinals of the LKE. Viaplay has the rights to show these competitions (as well as LE) until the end of the current season and this is the last year of the three-year contract. As a warm-up for Legia’s European excitement that awaits us in February, Viaplay is currently showing Legia’s international sparring matches during its training camp in Turkey.
2024-01-25 18:35:00
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