Hungarian football will be exclusively available on Hungarian public television and on Chello Central Europe’s Sport TV channel.
The Chello Central Europe and Media Service Support and Asset Management Fund (MTVA) joint tender has bagged the transmission and broadcasting rights of the Hungarian Football Association (MLSZ) matches for the coming four championship seasons. As a result of this deal, the Hungarian Football matches will be exclusively available on the Hungarian public television and on Chello Central Europe’s Sport TV.
The MLSZ submitted a tender on April 27 for sale of broadcasting rights relating to the First and Second Division Hungarian National Championships, the Hungarian Cup, the Amateur Cup, the League Cup and the Super Cup tournaments in the 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
In the final year of the 2009-10 to 2011-12 period, the combined TV premium income of MLSZ was approximately HUF1.7 billion (€39.1 million). The opportunity for increased content was incorporated into the tender, from which it follows that the outcome of the results of the tender will be significantly higher at HUF3.5 billion per year.
The lion’s share of the revenues – after the deductions permitted by law (4.5%) – will go through the MLSZ to amateur teams successfully playing in the First and Second Division Hungarian National Championships and the Cup matches.
“I consider the results of this tender to be a serious business success based on common advantages. The agreement between the MTVA and Chello Central Europe well serves the interest of Hungarian Football, and I am sure that football-loving viewers will be satisfied with both the matches and their broadcast quality,” said Dr. Sándor Csányi, MLSZ president, in a statement.
In previous years, the collaboration between the public broadcaster and Chello Central Europe has been very successful, providing viewers the opportunity to follow the nation’s top championship battles live on Chello Central Europe’s three sport channels (Sport1, Sport2 and SportM), Duna TV, and later on channel m1. In the next four seasons, in proportion to the increasing number of household TV sets, Sport TV and the public media will broadcast not less than 60 matches in the first season, and not less than 90 in the third and fourth, divided in a manner that is advantageous to both parties.
“Public TV and Radio reach Hungary’s largest fan base, members of the whole population who are interested in football. Data concerning the sport broadcast audience affirm that there is a need in the public media for quality sports broadcasts. The matches of the previous First Division Championship season reached more than a million viewers on average on the m1 and m2 channels,” said István Böröcz, CEO of MTVA.
Besides the live broadcasts in full HD quality meeting strict technical standards, many summaries, magazine programs, and exclusive interviews will be produced for each television and radio station. From Friday to Sunday evening, every day will feature a meeting with Hungarian champions, and on Sunday evenings on Sport TV, the football show Third Half will provide the opportunity to review every championship round.
“Since its inception, Chello Central Europe Zrt., operator of the Sport TV channels, has been a committed supporter of Hungarian football. It is a great pleasure that we can in the next four years continue the joint work we began with the MLSZ and the MTVA, providing even more Hungarian football for the viewers of Sport TV,” said Levente Málnay, CEO of Chello Central Europe.
