VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnam Professional Football (VPF) JS Company and AVG have unexpectedly reached an agreement on the telecast rights of professional football leagues in Vietnam.

VTV, VTC accept sharing telecast rights with AVG

VPF’s Vice Chair Nguyen Duc Kien has stated to withdraw the petition against AVG.

Mr. Kien says that the conflict between VPF and AVG was settled on April 14, after a meeting between VPF’s officials and AVG President Pham Nhat Vu.

Both parties have not disclosed the detail of their agreement but Kien says that they satisfy with the agreement.

The dispute over the telecast right of three professional football events in Vietnam (V-League, First Division Tournament and National Cup) has ended after nearly half of a year.

The so-called “TV right war” was kicked of last December when VPF was established to run the V-league and the First Division Tournament. This company asked the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and AVG to re-consider their 20-year telecast right contract.

At the request of VPF, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism checked the contract. In mid-February 2012, the Ministry stated that the contract is legal.

VPF protested the Ministry’s conclusion and said to lodge an appeal against the contract.

While VPF was conducting an appeal, AVG unexpectedly accepted to share the broadcasting right at the ratio 40-30-30, with 40 percent for the national TV broadcaster VTV, 30 percent for the digital TV broadcaster VTC and 30 percent for AVG.

AVG also agreed to raise the copyright fee from VND6 billion ($300,000)/year to VND10 billion/year ($500,000).

S. Tung