Off air
Sportv and Rede Globo programming leaves part of Brazil without watching Flamengo's game
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
A significant portion of Brazil's largest fan base will be left without a live option to watch Flamengo, the reigning Brazilian champion, debut in the Copa Santander Libertadores. This is the case for those living in Brazil's largest city. In São Paulo, the local TV Globo will broadcast the match between Corinthians and Racing. Sportv, a pay-TV sports channel linked to the same business group that holds exclusive rights to broadcast the competition in Brazil, will also broadcast the match of Mano Menezes' team, according to website programming. At the same time, Sportv2 continues to broadcast coverage of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
For journalist Ricardo Amorim, a Sportv subscriber who lives in São Paulo, the decision leaves no alternative for the thousands of red-and-black fans living in São Paulo. "It's true that Sportv's sponsors and advertisers in São Paulo want to see the city's team on the main channel's schedule. But do they prefer the Winter Olympics to a soccer game, especially the Libertadores? What interest do these sports have for the Brazilian public?" he asks.
Minas Gerais is another state that will be without Flamengo on TV. According to the director of the FlaBH Embassy, business administrator Gleydson Rodrigues da Silva, TV Globo will broadcast Atlético-MG's match in the Copa do Brasil. The mood is one of disappointment and anger. "Sportv lacked market vision. Flamengo's fan base is the third largest in Belo Horizonte and the second largest in the state, second only to Cruzeiro."
Bruno Romero, from the official Embassy in Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, also complains. "It's absurd. Most fans here have cable or Sky TV. They end up being dependent on satellite dishes. FlaGV will try to get one so everyone can watch the game."
Vinicius Nagem, president of the official FlaParaná Embassy, blogger on the official website, says that the red-blacks from Paraná are already used to these gaps of the programming. "I think it's disrespectful to the biggest club in the world. "We'll only be able to watch because the bar where we're meeting has a satellite dish that picks up the signal from Rio."
Further south, there are no options for the large Flamengo fans who live in Florianópolis. RBS, part of Rede Globo, will broadcast the Avaí game. "RBS will only broadcast the Flamengo game in the countryside. I have Sky, so I'll have to find a place to watch," says the lawyer and professor. Mauricio Neves, also a blogger on the official website.
Alexandre Souteiro, a Rio native living in Curitiba who writes for FlamengoNET, questions the lack of coverage of the Flamengo debut. "Could it be that there's no intention to remember the basic concept of marketing: meeting the customer's needs?" he asks.
Sportv - The official website attempted to obtain a position from Sportv on the matter, but the press office was unable to respond to the reporter's requests by the time this article was published.
For journalist Ricardo Amorim, a Sportv subscriber who lives in São Paulo, the decision leaves no alternative for the thousands of red-and-black fans living in São Paulo. "It's true that Sportv's sponsors and advertisers in São Paulo want to see the city's team on the main channel's schedule. But do they prefer the Winter Olympics to a soccer game, especially the Libertadores? What interest do these sports have for the Brazilian public?" he asks.
Minas Gerais is another state that will be without Flamengo on TV. According to the director of the FlaBH Embassy, business administrator Gleydson Rodrigues da Silva, TV Globo will broadcast Atlético-MG's match in the Copa do Brasil. The mood is one of disappointment and anger. "Sportv lacked market vision. Flamengo's fan base is the third largest in Belo Horizonte and the second largest in the state, second only to Cruzeiro."
Bruno Romero, from the official Embassy in Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, also complains. "It's absurd. Most fans here have cable or Sky TV. They end up being dependent on satellite dishes. FlaGV will try to get one so everyone can watch the game."
Vinicius Nagem, president of the official FlaParaná Embassy, blogger on the official website, says that the red-blacks from Paraná are already used to these gaps of the programming. "I think it's disrespectful to the biggest club in the world. "We'll only be able to watch because the bar where we're meeting has a satellite dish that picks up the signal from Rio."
Further south, there are no options for the large Flamengo fans who live in Florianópolis. RBS, part of Rede Globo, will broadcast the Avaí game. "RBS will only broadcast the Flamengo game in the countryside. I have Sky, so I'll have to find a place to watch," says the lawyer and professor. Mauricio Neves, also a blogger on the official website.
Alexandre Souteiro, a Rio native living in Curitiba who writes for FlamengoNET, questions the lack of coverage of the Flamengo debut. "Could it be that there's no intention to remember the basic concept of marketing: meeting the customer's needs?" he asks.
Sportv - The official website attempted to obtain a position from Sportv on the matter, but the press office was unable to respond to the reporter's requests by the time this article was published.