Vietnam Professional Football JSC (VPF) on January 4 requested three Vietnamese ministries to consider the legality of a 20-year TV right deals between the Audio Visual Group (AVG) and the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).
In a document sent to the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Information and Communication, Nguyen Duc Kien, deputy head of the VPF Board of Directors described the deal as illegal.
The VFF and the AVG signed a deal on December 8, 2010 under which the AVG is granted TV broadcast rights to all matches of national professional football tournaments, including Super League (formerly called V-League) over 20 years, starting from the 2011 season.
Kien cited Provision 2 of Article 53 of the 2006 Sport and Physical Training Law and Article 12 of a 2007 Government Decree as saying that the VFF and professional football clubs have the right to TV broadcasts of their matches.
However, the VPF executive explained, when signing the deal, the VFF did not receive approval from managers of V-League football clubs authorizing the national football governing body to enter into negotiations regarding broadcast rights and sign the deal with the AVG.
Kien also cited several articles of the Press Law and another Government decree which stipulate that TV license is only granted to public TV stations. He noted that the AVG did not have a TV license at the signing date because it was not a TV station.
Kien requested that the relevant ministries resolve the issue as soon as possible to help the VPF fully exercise its rights and obligations to ensure the interests of football clubs and the healthy development of Vietnamese football.
Meanwhile, in a document to the VPF signed the same day, the VFF reconfirmed its rights and obligations to Vietnam’s football development, and said the VPF “intentionally does not understand necessary regulations of the sport law and the Statutes of the VFF, as well as does not respect the VFF.”
The VFF Executive Board proposed the Board of Directors of the VPF draw lessons from individual statements by a VPF leader targeting the VFF in recent times.
The VFF asked the VPF to follow its instructions until it fully receives authority from the VFF to manage and organize professional football tournaments.
The AVG welcomed the VFF’s move and urged the VFF to take swifter and stronger action to inform the public of the truth behind the case.
Hoang Xuan Bac, an AVG representative, said that the AVG has sent a document to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, proposing the ministry make clear issues related to the TV rights deal.
In another development, the Vietnam Export Import Bank (Eximbank ) said it is considering withdrawing from its sponsorship contract with the VFF.
Le Hung Dung, Eximbank chief executive officer and VFF Vice President, said on January 4 that disputes over TV broadcast rights are damaging the image of the No1 national football tournament and the sponsor.
Eximbank signed a three-year sponsorship contract for Super League with the VFF, starting in 2011.
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