Brazilian clubs vow to complete league seasons

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Clubs from Brazil's top two national football divisions have voted unanimously in favor of completing their respective seasons to guarantee their share of TV broadcast revenue during the coronavirus pandemic.

Both leagues - originally slated to begin in early May - have been postponed indefinitely, prompting fears that the season could be shortened or called off.

All of the 40 clubs in Serie A and Serie B expressed a desire to play each of the scheduled 38 rounds in a letter sent to broadcaster O Globo on Tuesday.

"The presidents of all of the clubs met ... and a letter was delivered to Globo confirming a commitment to have 38 match days in return for our [broadcast rights] income," Edno Melo, the president of Serie B club Nautico, told Radio Jornal.

"TV money was already vital for clubs but now it's absolutely vital for our survival," he added.

In the letter, clubs asked O Globo to bring forward broadcast payments to help them manage their costs. Nearly all major sports competitions have been suspended in Brazil since mid-March to curb the spread of COVID-19, which has so far killed more than 2,700 people in the South American country.