World Sport Group accused of rules breach

KABIR – TEHRAN, World Sport Group, Asia’s leading sports marketing firm, accused of international rules breach by an Iranian lawyer.

Gholamreza Rafiee, the jurisconsult of Iran’s state television, discussed the recent problems between Iranian television and World Sport Group over buying broadcasting rights of Iran’s national football team in World Cup qualification matches. Rafiee accused the other side to ask much money for broadcasting rights which is breaching international rules.

“Four years ago at the same time we paid $4 million to broadcast Team Melli matches in World Cup qualification. But now World Sport Group wants to charge us over $40 for the same service. We paid $7.5 to broadcast World Cup 2010 and we bought the London 2012 broadcasting right for only $1 million. World Sport Group is trying to swindle Asian countries for broadcasting World Cup qualification matches.” Said Gholamreza Rafiee during a live TV show.

“Lebanese television also didn’t buy the broadcasting right of the match between Iran and Lebanon. The same problem has occurred for South Korea.” Gholamreza Rafiee added.

World Sport Group angered many Asian football fans by increasing the price of the broadcasting rights for the AFC World Cup Qualifiers 2014.

Veteran journalist and soccer scholar James M. Dorsey has recently published a report about the controversial $1 billion contract between AFC and World Sport Group. Dorsey has revealed an unexplained payment of $14 million to Mr. Bin Hammam by one of the company’s shareholders. His statements are backed by formal and reliable documents. WSG has filed a complaint against the reporter in Singapore High Court.