Tweet
Sportsmax: We'd love to show Reggae Boyz live
KAYON RAYNOR, Senior staff reporter raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
THE top brass of Sportsmax has refuted statements by Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Captain Horace Burrell that they have denied requests to show local Reggae Boyz matches live.
"I don't think that's an accurate comment," chairman Pat Rousseau told the Observer yesterday in a reaction to comments made by Burrell in last Friday's Observer that the current JFF arrangement with Sportsmax deal was affecting the Federation's ability to show matches live on television.
"We've always tried to speak with Sportsmax to try and see if they would want to re-negotiate and they say that they were not willing to give up the rights," he said while placing the blame squarely at the feet of the previous JFF administration.
"They (Sportsmax) have paid for it already... and that has to be respected," Burrell said in addressing the the Super League presentation in Kingston.
Yesterday, Rousseau refuted Burrell's statement: "We've not shown the games at the request of the JFF because they were concerned it would affect their gate (receipts) and so, CVM TV which we have a joint deal with on the Reggae Boyz... games have agreed that we wouldn't show it live because we didn't want to affect the attendance," Rousseau explained.
Oliver McIntosh, Sportsmax's president and CEO, agreed with Rousseau, adding that his company stands to gain more from broadcasting Reggae Boyz matches live.
"We prefer to show them live... that's our best audience and that's the best opportunity to get additional commercial value which they would ultimately benefit from.
"But we're not allowed to show them... so the comment that we're blocking the live showing is not true; it was the JFF that requested us not to show it live," McIntosh declared.
He said the JFF rejected a proposal by Sportsmax to show the games live outside the Kingston Metropolitan Area.
"... We've tried to figure out a way to get the best broadcast value for fans and the Reggae Boyz audience in Jamaica and unfortunately we have had to agree with the JFF to broadcast the matches delayed," McIntosh stated.
On March 15, 2007, the Crenston Boxhill-led JF and Sportsmax signed a multimillion dollar four-year deal which will gave the Caribbean's first 24-hour sports channel exclusive local and international broadcast rights for all international matches played by the Reggae Boyz.
McIntosh also contradicted Burrell's claim that the JFF tried to broker a re-negotiation with Sportsmax but that the latter was unwilling to relent.
The CEO said Sportsmax has been trying to convene a meeting with the JFF since last December to discuss issue between both entities.
"Unfortunately, we've not been able to convene a meeting where we can sit down and go through these issues. We're willing to meet and... come up with a compromise...
"We (our offices) are no more than 500 yards apart... so we're more than willing to walk over to the JFF, or we can host the meeting at our office to resolve all these issues," McIntosh added.
KAYON RAYNOR, Senior staff reporter raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
THE top brass of Sportsmax has refuted statements by Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Captain Horace Burrell that they have denied requests to show local Reggae Boyz matches live.
"I don't think that's an accurate comment," chairman Pat Rousseau told the Observer yesterday in a reaction to comments made by Burrell in last Friday's Observer that the current JFF arrangement with Sportsmax deal was affecting the Federation's ability to show matches live on television.
"We've always tried to speak with Sportsmax to try and see if they would want to re-negotiate and they say that they were not willing to give up the rights," he said while placing the blame squarely at the feet of the previous JFF administration.
"They (Sportsmax) have paid for it already... and that has to be respected," Burrell said in addressing the the Super League presentation in Kingston.
Yesterday, Rousseau refuted Burrell's statement: "We've not shown the games at the request of the JFF because they were concerned it would affect their gate (receipts) and so, CVM TV which we have a joint deal with on the Reggae Boyz... games have agreed that we wouldn't show it live because we didn't want to affect the attendance," Rousseau explained.
Oliver McIntosh, Sportsmax's president and CEO, agreed with Rousseau, adding that his company stands to gain more from broadcasting Reggae Boyz matches live.
"We prefer to show them live... that's our best audience and that's the best opportunity to get additional commercial value which they would ultimately benefit from.
"But we're not allowed to show them... so the comment that we're blocking the live showing is not true; it was the JFF that requested us not to show it live," McIntosh declared.
He said the JFF rejected a proposal by Sportsmax to show the games live outside the Kingston Metropolitan Area.
"... We've tried to figure out a way to get the best broadcast value for fans and the Reggae Boyz audience in Jamaica and unfortunately we have had to agree with the JFF to broadcast the matches delayed," McIntosh stated.
On March 15, 2007, the Crenston Boxhill-led JF and Sportsmax signed a multimillion dollar four-year deal which will gave the Caribbean's first 24-hour sports channel exclusive local and international broadcast rights for all international matches played by the Reggae Boyz.
McIntosh also contradicted Burrell's claim that the JFF tried to broker a re-negotiation with Sportsmax but that the latter was unwilling to relent.
The CEO said Sportsmax has been trying to convene a meeting with the JFF since last December to discuss issue between both entities.
"Unfortunately, we've not been able to convene a meeting where we can sit down and go through these issues. We're willing to meet and... come up with a compromise...
"We (our offices) are no more than 500 yards apart... so we're more than willing to walk over to the JFF, or we can host the meeting at our office to resolve all these issues," McIntosh added.
Comment