Emilio Azcarraga Jean, the chair of Mexican telecommunications and broadcast giant Televisa, has stepped down from his role effective immediately. This move comes amid an ongoing investigation by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) into the company's relationship with global soccer governing body FIFA and its employees.
Azcarraga, who also chairs high-profile Mexican league club Club America, has been under scrutiny since 2017 when allegations first surfaced about a bribery scandal involving Televisa. The company was accused of paying FIFA officials directly to secure TV rights to FIFA World Cup matches scheduled between 2018 and 2030.
In response to these allegations, Televisa settled an investor lawsuit in 2023 for $95 million. This payment was made to investors who claimed they lost money due to the business inflating its share price by concealing the bribery.
Bribery scheme unveiled
The lawsuit alleged that in 2013, Televisa collaborated with leading Brazilian media group Grupo Globo and Argentinian sports rights agency Torneos y Competencias. Together they were said to have paid bribes totaling $15 million to Julio Grondona, a top FIFA executive now deceased, for rights to broadcast the 2026 and 2030 World Cups across Latin America.
Televisa allegedly used Mountrigi Management Group - its Switzerland-based subsidiary - as a conduit for these bribes. It is reported that Mountrigi paid $7.25 million to Torneos which then forwarded this money onto Argentinian official Grondona.
DOJ initiates separate probe
In light of these events, Azcarraga has taken "a leave of absence" as the DOJ initiates a separate probe into business dealings over FIFA matters that have raised concerns. In 2022, FIFA received $92 million in compensation from the DOJ for its losses related to a range of recent corruption incidents in soccer. This was in addition to the $201 million it had received from the DOJ for similar reasons the previous year. Since 2015, over 50 individual and corporate defendants from at least 20 countries have faced DoJ charges for offences including fraud, bribery, racketeering, and money laundering.
Televisa is one of the Spanish-speaking world's biggest broadcasters. It operates both within Mexico and across Latin America as well as in the US. The company holds several major soccer rights beyond those of the World Cup matches.
The ongoing investigation into Televisa’s dealings with FIFA officials has raised questions about transparency and integrity within global sports broadcasting rights agreements. As this case unfolds, it will be crucial to see how these revelations impact Televisa’s reputation among sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts alike.
