.svg) | |
| Country | Chile |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | National (international viaTV Chile) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | |
| Key people |
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| Sister channels | TNT TNT Series TNT Sports (Argentina) TNT Sports (Brazil) TNT Sports (United Kingdom) |
| History | |
| Launched | July 20, 2003 (2003-07-20) (as CDF) January 17, 2021 (2021-01-17) (as TNT Sports) |
| Former names | CDF (2003–2021) |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| Estadio TNT Sports | Watch live |
TNT SportsChile is a privately ownedsportspayTV channel ofChile. It launched in 2003 and it was controlled by theAsociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional, the Chilean football league after of the authorization of sale by the FNE (Fiscalia Nacional Económica) in Chile. Now is operated byWarner Bros. Discovery International. Originally calledCDF (acronym ofCanal del Fútbol), it was renamed on January 17, 2021.[1][2]
Created at the beginning of 2003 to broadcast the national championship after the ANFP finalized contracts with Fox Sports, the SKY satellite signal, and National Television of Chile, the latter did not reach a new agreement. This decision led in not pursuing a bidding process. The ANFP leadership headed by Reinaldo Sánchez decided to execute the proposal by businessman Jorge Claro where all 32 professional football clubs obtain all the benefits of a collective bargaining agreement from television broadcasting rights. This meant without an intermediary whom Claro was directly the negotiator in a desperate attempt to restore the Chilean game in financial constraints.
At first, it was projected that the channel would be available through cable operators and UHF signal decoders upon payment of a monthly fee. However, the decision was made to launch its own satellite television operator, Zap, in December 2003. In addition to operating on cable television. Four years later in 2007, Zap was acquired by Mexican telecommunications consortium Telmex, and so it happened to be called Telmex TV.
From 2006, the "CDF Básico" signal is renamed from its maiden channel to "CDF Premium". Four matches per round of the First Division championship were broadcast live and exclusively and selected matches of the Chilean National Team were added in the same programming.
The "Canal del Fútbol" or Channel of Soccer continued to grow and broadcast the entire fixtures of the Chilean First and Second Division championships, that is, all matches live and exclusive. In addition it was broadcasting television football programs with content on the European game and other sports. From 2007 onwards, CDF acquired the rights to broadcast the FIFA 2010 South Africa World Cup qualifiers of the CONMEBOL or South America zone. This contract proved successful with the broadcasting of all matches headed Marcelo Bielsa and "La Roja".
As the rights owner, CDF had the authority to operate the rights to broadcast all goal replays, something unprecedented in Chile until 2005. That year, mainstream network Canal 13 won a legal action against all other channels to protect the rights of information regarding goals footage. Nevertheless, the court verdict was favorable towards CDF. Canal 13 exclusively showed the replay of all the action and goals scored during the weekend fixtures until Sunday midnight. The rest of the channels was legally allowed to cover goals in an informative manner. For all other television programs, the option to pay a fee to CDF to broadcast the goals was ordered due to the court sentencing.
In 2007 after failed attempt of a collective purchase by Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN), Chilevisión and Mega, the latter a private network adjudged the compact rights of match footage to be shown on Sundays. The decree also stated that all other television channels will be able to only exhibit the goals during 7 days as of Monday subsequent to the date of the match fixture played, under the same conditions from that of 2005. The agreement was until the end of 2008. This in spite of countless efforts and promises by the new ANFP president Harold Mayne-Nicholls to obtain the tv footage rights of the goals for all free-to-air public networks.
In January 2021, TNT Sports acquired CDF and was rebranded. TNT Sports is available via cable or satellite.