Portuguese Football League Appeals To European Commission To Block Sport TV Deal

Portuguese Football League (LPFP) President Mario Figueiredo has said that the organization "will appeal to the European Commission if the country’s media regulator, the ERC, refuses to block a proposed deal" for telecom company Portugal Telecom to acquire a 25% stake in pay-TV broadcaster Sport TV, according to SOCCEREX. Figueiredo said that the move would further strengthen the "dominant" position of the Olivedesportos agency, which is controlled by businessman Joaquim Oliveira, who is also a co-owner of Sport TV. Figueiredo believes that "the deal would reduce competition for the Primeira Liga’s rights -- which he is hoping to centralise -- with Portugal Telecom set to join the Zon Multimedia and Sportinveste media companies as a shareholder in Sport TV." The LPFP president "is seeking to centralise the Liga’s television rights in a bid to encourage greater financial equality amongst its clubs" (SOCCEREX, 6/20).