VPF expects TV right dispute to be settled by court

Assigned to manage marketing, sales and the organization of competition of the top two football leagues in Vietnam, VPF has announced that it refuses to accept the exclusive TV rights of AVG, since the deal violates Vietnam’s sports law, according to VPF Board of Director vice chief Nguyen Duc Kien.

Kien gave Tuoi Tre an interview on Saturday:

Can you tell us the reason for your refusal?

I have in hand a dispatch from Vietnam’s football governing body signed by chairman Nguyen Trong Hy. The document clarifies my point that the VFF failed to implement legal procedures obliged before their signature -- getting approval by member clubs.

In the dispatch, the VFF admits it has not consulted with clubs.

And thus, their deal with AVG becomes null and void as Vietnam’s sports law stipulates that TV rights belong to all member clubs.

VPF has reported the issue to the General Department of Sports and Physical Training and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism under the government.

How will VPF react if the case is taken to a court?

We have anticipated that scenario. Settling it in court is what the VPF expects, and it is not a bad thing at all.

The court will decide who is right and wrong.

Now, will allowance for TV stations to film Super League matches come from VPF or AVG?

Firstly, VPF hasn’t granted any licenses to AVG concerning the TV rights.

So, AVG and all other TV stations in Vietnam are qualified to come to stadiums to film the games and air them for fans across the nation.

Has the VPF signed a deal with any TV stations for the rights?

Not yet. The VPF initially consulted with Vietnam Television (VTV) and both agreed to some details for a possible contract for three years. Its value is more than VND10 billion (US$476,200) a year.

Can you reveal some of the agreements between VPF and VTV?

I am assigned by the VPF Board of Directors to negotiate with TV stations. VPF is now interested in a deal with VTV. I believe the details and value of the coming deal will be much better for Vietnamese football.

Now is not the time to announce it. But VPF will not sign a deal for longer than three years, which is the practice followed by authorities of both international and Vietnamese football agencies.

I even expect the coming value to be many times higher than 10 billion dong a year.

There have concerns that the bosses of some Super League clubs want to corner Vietnamese football

I confirm that bosses and clubs and all others must obey the law, as do the VPF and VFF.

As a partner and a member of the VFF, VPF respects the former’s instructions, as long as they aren’t against the law.

Will the VPF become involved if the VFF has to compensate anyone for the deal?

It will be stipulated by articles in the contract. Any dispute will be settled in court. I am not authorized to read the deal.

But before it was signed in 2010, I had called VFF chairman Nguyen Trong Hy and AVG director Pham Nhat Vu to warn them that the deal may be against the law, based on what they had announced.