TV4, Viaplay and HBO Max settle for the hockey Allsvenskan TV rights, according to Expressen’s data.
Despite months of negotiations, there is no announcement – and now the league is threatened with a serious financial setback.
– I have no comments, says Hockey Allsvenskan CEO Gabriel Monidelle.
TV4, Viaplay and HBO Max settle for the hockey Allsvenskan TV rights, according to Expressen’s data.
Photo: DANIEL ERIKSSON / BILDBYRÅN
The Hockey Allsvenskan is facing an important choice ahead of next season. The current television agreement with TV4 expires this spring – and despite negotiations on a new agreement having been ongoing for a long time, there is still no solution in place.
Information to Expressen indicates that the upcoming agreement risks being significantly less valuable than the current one. Today’s agreement, which is mediated via TV4, is said to be worth around SEK 100 million per season.
According to several independent sources, the sums that are now being discussed should rather lie in the range of around SEK 50 and 65 million per year. This means almost a halving compared to today’s level, which would mean a heavy blow for the Allsvenskan clubs.
– I have no comments on any ongoing negotiations, says Hockey Allsvenskan CEO Gabriel Monidelle.
How do you see that nothing is finished yet? We are still quite far into the season now.
– As I said, I do not comment on where we stand in processes or where we are in any negotiations.
How do you see it affecting the clubs who are already planning their budget for next season?
– I feel that we have a very good dialogue with our clubs regarding all our different areas and activities within the league that affect the clubs.
TV4 and Viaplay interested
Several actors have participated in the negotiations for a new agreement. In December could Sportbladet tell us that TV4 is interested in continuing and has made an offer of SEK 50 million.
Gabriel Monidelle, CEO of the Hockey Allsvenskan.
Photo: SARA DAMNE / BILDBYRÅN
Now Expressen can also reveal that Viaplay has participated in the discussions. However, the uncertainty surrounding Viaplay’s future NHL rights is said to affect the ability to make decisions. A definitive announcement has therefore been delayed.
“We do not comment on rights we do not have”, writes Viaplay’s Erik Westberg in a text message to Expressen.
TV4’s Johan Cederqvist is tight-lipped when we reach him about the data and does not want to confirm that they are part of the discussions.
– The sad thing is that we cannot comment on rights that we do not have, which is the case with the Hockey Allsvenskan starting next season, he says.
Are you interested in continuing with the hockey Allsvenskan?
– We think the Hockey Allsvenskan is a great right that works well for us today, but we will have to come back to how we approach it in the future.
There have also been reports that other international players, including HBO Max, have been involved in the discussions. According to Expressen’s information, however, it currently appears unlikely that they will acquire the rights.
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Concern among the clubs
The negotiations have dragged on without a clearly communicated deadline. It has created a growing irritation among the clubs, who are now forced to plan next season without knowing what financial conditions will apply.
Mora’s financial problems risk worsening.
Photo: DANIEL ERIKSSON / BILDBYRÅN
Several sports managers and leading figures within the hockey Allsvenskan tell Expressen about their frustration over the uncertainty, as work on next season’s budgets and squad building is already underway.
– Uncertainty is never good. We would have liked to have the conditions ready for next year. But we have two budgets that we work towards, one where it is the same money and one where it is halved. We get to activate the budget that it lands on. Should it be less than a halving, we will have to take it then, says Nybro Vikings club director Anders Westring.
How would it affect Nybro with a halving?
– Should there be less money, it will mean lower player salaries, I suspect. But I think there are more people than Nybro who get sweaty in that case. For us smaller clubs it will be noticeable, but we will solve it too of course, we have to do that, he says.
Mora is another club suffering from financial problems, but club director Johan Strömwall is tight-lipped when the matter comes up.
– I have full confidence in our delegation and that they will solve that, but otherwise I don’t want to comment on that, he says.
Modo’s sports director Henrik Gradin believes it is bad that a solution is not in place:
– It concerns the whole of hockey Sweden, of course. The budget is now set for next year and if it is reduced by several million, it will affect everyone, he says.
How does it affect Modo that the TV contract risks being cut in half?
– It is clear that it affects. It’s money that doesn’t come in.
At the same time, he is not particularly worried that it will hit Modo the hardest.
– I think that the ones that do best are the clubs with stable finances. They survive enough. But it will make a hell of a difference for the clubs that use that money for a large part of their business, he says.
