Portugal: telecom operator MEO acquires the 2016-19 rights of the Segunda Liga for a minimum €28.5m

The telecommunications operator MEO (part of the Portugal Telecom group, owned by the Dutch holding company Altice) has acquired the domestic audiovisual rights for the 2016-2019 period of 19 of the 24 clubs in Segunda Liga, the Portuguese second division, on 12/01/2016. The Segunda Liga includes five reserve teams of clubs in the Liga NOS (FC Porto, SC Braga, Sporting Clube de Portugal, Vitória SC and SL Benfica B) who did not participate in the vote by the committee of second division clubs.

Under the terms of the agreement, each Segunda Liga club will receive €500,000 per season, amounting to audiovisual revenues of €1.5m per club for the 2016-2019 cycle. On promotion to the Liga NOS during 2016-2019 cycle, each promoted club would then receive €3.5m per season. This values the agreement between €28.5m (minimum) and €42.5m (maximum) over the 2016-2019 period.

The contract also stipulates that MEO will distribute 30% of income generated by the marketing of the audiovisual rights of the second Portuguese division in the Asian market to Segunda Liga clubs.

• Several Segunda Liga…