Brazil breakaway league hires US agency as advisor

Global media company 1190 Sports has been hired to help create a new breakaway soccer league in Brazil. The agency will attempt to develop a business strategy and television distribution plan for the Liga Forte Futbol (LFF).

1190 Sports has experience in this area, as they are currently in a similar role with Brazil’s top soccer leagues. The agency holds the international broadcast distribution rights to the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A and Série B. Along with knowledge of Brazil, 1190 Sports also handles similar rights to the Argentinian and Peruvian soccer leagues.

Agency CEO wants to take new Brazil breakaway league to the top

“A Brazilian League has enormous potential to quickly become one of the most innovative and interesting initiatives in the world of football,” Hernan Donnari, CEO and co-founder of 1190 Sports, said in a press release.

“World-class soccer leagues are proof that the unity and a balanced and meritocratic distribution of resources not only increase the competitiveness and appeal of the championships, but also generate even greater revenues. With Brazil being the main exporter of players in the world, this completes a virtuous circle to the benefit of all clubs, something that is also expected from such a football powerhouse.”

Under direction of 1190 Sports, the Brazilian top flight has seen steady growth in exposure in recent years. In fact, Serie A is now available in over 150 countries, with a potential reach of about 650 million people.

Brazilian clubs want to imitate previous EPL strategy

Brazilian soccer teams have been discussing the possibility to form a new breakaway league for months. These officials want to try to emulate England’s Premier League in terms of revenue and popularity. Serie A currently barely cracks the top 10 list of most-watched soccer leagues in the world. However, the Brazil national team is regularly near the top of FIFA’s team rankings.

According to SportsPro Media, 26 Brazilian teams have agreed to join the proposed LFF. 24 of these 26 clubs have also accepted to pool together about $956 million in the deal. However, for the league to officially work, all 40 clubs in the top Brazilian divisions must join.

PHOTO: IMAGO / TheNews2