The English FA acquired the television rights in the UK and Europe as a precondition of playing the match in Trinidad and Tobago. However, TTFF media officer, Shaun Fuentes, admitted, “To date, no one has contracted with the TTFF for the TV rights of the Caribbean or the Americas or even Trinidad. Accordingly, no commercial revenue has been received to date by the TTFF for TV rights.”
A spat this week between TTFF and the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Sports over the match’s proposed venue called into doubt whether the fixture would go ahead. The Sport Ministry had demanded that the TTFF pay a rental fee of $150,000 or 10 per cent of the gates for use of the venue.
The TTFF regarded the fee as exorbitant, and threatened to take legal action unless the Ministry reconsidered its position. Both sides are now in negotiations, and Sports Minister Gary Hunt has said that the match will go ahead. He said: “The Government has entered in talks with the TTFF with a position that we would like the game to go on.”
