Viet Nam Television (VTV) and Viet Nam Cable Television (VCTV) have reached agreements concerning V-League's broadcasting rights after two weeks of negotiations with cable TV provider Audio Vision Global (AVG).
As scheduled, VTV will broadcast live 20 of total 91 matches in the first leg of the national premier football championship, V-League, while VCTV said it will telecast 38 matches.
However, Viet Nam Multi-Media Corporation (VTC) and Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV) have yet to finalise their negotiations with AVG.
Last week, AVG said it had sold V-League's 91 broadcasting rights of first leg matches to local television stations for VND40 million (US$2,000) each.
AVG won a 20-year contract with the Viet Nam Football Federation (VFF) last December to broadcast V-League matches worth VND6 billion (US$300,000) per year.
AVG, which is licensed to operate a satellite and digital television service, plans to officially launch a 70-channel TV package late this year.
The V-League will kick off on January 23, and Vietnamese fans will be able to watch matches on VTV's channel 3 and VCTV's Football TV.
The national football championship has been a money maker for the VFF since 2004 when VTV paid VND4 billion ($200,000) to broadcast V-League matches.
Under the deal, the VFF and its sponsors take 40 per cent of the fees, while the two participating teams share the remainder. The host team takes 40 per cent and the visiting team 20 per cent.
Footballer banned for quitting
Viet Nam Football Federation (VFF)'s disciplinary committee has banned striker Hoang Danh Ngoc from football for 18 months and fined him VND2.4 billion (US$120,000).
Ngoc will be banned from official matches starting from the first day that he signs a contract with another club.
The 21-year-old said that he wanted to leave after Nam Dinh was demoted to lower First Division, which led to financial problems for the club.
Nam Dinh had not been able to pay Ngoc's salary for a few months.
The VFF said Ngoc breached clause 55 in VFF's disciplinary law.
Due to unilaterally ending his contract before it expired, Ngoc also must compensate Nam Dinh football club for the eight-year training fee, which totals $120,000.
VFF said that Ngoc could appeal the decision with the VFF's appeals committee within seven days. — VNS
