Torneos y Competencias
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports media |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Founder | Carlos Ávila, Jose Santoro, Héctor Dayan |
| Headquarters | Buenos Aires , Argentina |
Area served | Argentina, Latin America, United States |
| Products | Publishing, radio, television broadcasting (TyC Sports) |
Torneos y Competencias S.A. (commonly known as TyC) is an Argentine company specializing in sports media, established by Carlos Ávila together with Jose Santoro and Héctor Dayan. It holds a significant presence in Argentina’s sports communication sector, engaging in publishing, radio, and television operations. The company’s main offices are located in Buenos Aires.
History
Beginning in 1982 with a golf-focused program, Torneos gradually broadened its scope to produce and air notable sports shows such as El deporte y el hombre, Tenis de Primera, and La Magia de la NBA. Its most prominent offering, the weekly Fútbol de Primera, features coverage of the Argentine Primera División and has achieved widespread acclaim.
In 1994, the company introduced TyC Sports, a channel dedicated to broadcasting Argentine Primera División matches, which further solidified its influence within the sports media landscape.
Loss of First Division Broadcasting Rights
In 1992, Televisión Satelital Codificada (TSC), a partnership formed by TyC and the Clarín group, obtained exclusive live broadcast rights for Argentine football matches through the "TyC Sports" and "TyC Max" channels. This contract remained valid until 2014.
During July 2009, facing financial difficulties impacting several Primera División teams, AFA President Julio Grondona attempted to renegotiate the agreement to raise AFA’s earnings to 720 million Argentine pesos. However, TSC declined this proposal, having paid only 230 million pesos in the previous season.
Following this, the Argentine government proposed replacing TSC with the state-owned Channel 7 as the official broadcaster, reflecting escalating tensions between Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s administration and the Clarín group.
On August 11, 2009, AFA terminated its contract with TSC due to alleged breaches and initiated legal proceedings against them. TyC also pursued legal action against AFA over the cancellation but was unsuccessful. Despite this, TSC maintained production responsibilities for Second and Third Division broadcasts.
From August 21, 2009 onward, television rights for Primera División matches transferred to state-owned TV Pública. These games have been aired under the "Fútbol para todos" initiative via TVP and regional channels.
Current Status
On March 30, 2016, the AFA ratified an agreement with TyC encompassing broadcasting rights for competitions including the Argentine Primera División, Argentine Second Division, Primera B Metropolitana, Argentine Cup, friendlies and qualifiers involving the Argentina national team, along with international media rights extending through 2019.
Channels
Together with the 34 South Media Group, Torneos operates domestic subscription-based channel TyC Sports as well as various international outlets: TyC Sports Latin America, TyC Sports COL, TyC Sports PER, TyC Sports URU, and TyC Sports USA. Additionally, Torneos is responsible for producing much of the sports content broadcast on Fox Sports Latin America – South Cone, covering events such as Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, and Formula One.
Exclusive Rights
Torneos holds exclusive television broadcasting rights for key tournaments including Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, Recopa Sudamericana, domestic leagues (Argentine First Division, Argentine Second Division, Primera B Metropolitana), Argentine Cup, matches involving the Argentina national team, as well as regional Summer and Winter Tournaments hosted in cities like Mar del Plata, Salta, Mendoza, and Córdoba. These rights are distributed across ESPN Premium, ESPN, TNT Sports, TNT, and TyC Sports channels throughout Latin America and the United States.
Incidental music
The organization incorporated the End Titles theme from the movie Blade Runner, created by Vangelis, for its program introductions and as the hallmark soundtrack of its premier series, Fútbol de Primera (TV program).