Prodena is the company that holds the rights to football and baseball, therefore, they have the authority to commercialize those broadcasts. In the end, an agreement was reached and the broadcasters managed to cover the football matches. So far, an explanation is also expected from Prodena regarding the increase in broadcasting rights for baseball. On that occasion in football, a fee of approximately one thousand dollars per match was charged after the broadcasters had canceled it. Something very similar also happened in the final phase of the football World Cup qualifying matches on the road to the 2026 World Cup, when Prodena, just a few days before the sporting event, also increased the prices for the rights, some radio commentators and narrators recalled. “This increase has been categorized by radio stations and sports commentators as an arbitrary practice, especially when the championships are organized by the Panamanian Baseball Federation (Fedebeis) and are held in stadiums administered by the Panamanian Institute of Sports (Panderportes), built and managed with public funds,” states its annoyance in a press release from the Panamanian Association of Broadcasting (APR). While the rights for regional broadcasters increase from four thousand balboas (B/.4,000.00) to six thousand balboas (B/.6,000.00), which represents a 50% increase. The story seems to be repeating itself with Prodena, but now for the 2026 National Baseball Championship. Just a few days before the inauguration of juvenile baseball, Prodena increased the broadcasting rights fee from six thousand balboas (B/.6,000.00) to ten thousand balboas (B/.10,000.00), which is more than a 65% increase. National Sports Productions (Prodena) once again “left a bad taste in the mouth” of radio media with the increase in broadcasting rights fees for the 2026 National Juvenile Baseball Championship. Prodena attempted to increase it at the last minute and caused annoyance among the affected broadcasters, commentators, and narrators. Therefore, the APR requests an urgent meeting with Pandeportes and Fedebeis to mediate, seek solutions, protect baseball, and ensure media coverage.
Prodena Again Angers Radio Stations Over Baseball Broadcasting Rights Hike
Prodena, holder of baseball broadcasting rights, increased the cost of transmission by 65% just days before the championship start. The Panamanian Association of Broadcasting (APR) called this arbitrary and demanded an urgent meeting to resolve the conflict.
