Clubs move to form new Brazilian league - Série B revenue at stake

Representatives of 23 clubs from the Série A and Série B converged in São Paulo on January 15 to press forward with plans for a new national league. The meeting focused on organizing the competition and, crucially, on how commercial and broadcast revenue will be divided — a set of decisions that will directly affect the finances and governance of Série B clubs.

Participants split into two clear blocs. An initial group of eight clubs signed a preliminary document signaling commitment to the project; that group included traditional names now in the second tier, such as Cruzeiro and Ponte Preta. A second group asked for more time to study the terms before committing. That list included América-MG, Atlético-GO, Avaí, Ceará, Coritiba, Cuiabá, Fortaleza, Goiás and Juventude, among others.

The immediate agenda was narrow but consequential: who controls the league, how rights are negotiated, and how income from rights de transmissão and commercial partnerships will be distributed. Those questions drive club budgets, transfer plans and even long-term investment in youth and infrastructure. For Série B sides that already operate on tighter margins, any shift in revenue formula or governance model could change competitive balance and budgeting for seasons to come.

Organizers signaled that discussions will broaden. Delegates expect a follow-up meeting with roughly 40 clubs to work through statutes and a revenue-sharing framework. That expanded gathering will be where technical details — voting structures, revenue pools, and distribution mechanisms — begin to take shape. Those statutory choices will define who gets leverage over scheduling, commercial deals and collective bargaining of television rights.

This development matters for several parts of the football community. Club administrators need to re-evaluate next season’s budgets and contingency plans while the negotiation window remains open. Players and agents will watch for how greater centralization or redistribution of TV money could affect salaries and transfer market dynamics. Local broadcasters, sponsors and municipal supporters should prepare for renegotiated deals and possible changes to match calendars that affect local revenue streams and fan engagement.

Track the next round of meetings and the draft statutes that emerge; those documents will spell out the models under discussion and indicate whether the new league will preserve the current competitive pyramid or reconfigure commercial rights in ways that ripple down into Série B. For clubs and supporters alike, the coming weeks are when off-field negotiations will start to shape on-field possibilities.