Palácio de São Bento will pay less for the Sport TV subscription. According to the information website SIC Notícias, the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, ordered a reduction in the number of connections to the channel, from eight to two. The expense, which was estimated at around 20 thousand euros, now drops to close to five thousand euros, maintaining access to essential sports content.
Contract revised after disclosure of values
The decision comes after the terms of the contract signed in December last year were made public, through a direct agreement between the General Secretariat of the Government and the operator NOS. The agreement provided for premium subscription to Sport TV for the Parliament and the São Bento Palace until August 19, 2028.
According to the same source, the plan that included eight connections had been in force since 2017, the period in which António Costa headed the Government. Over the years, the structure has remained unchanged, despite the evolution of costs and actual usage needs.
Lower charges than expected
In 2024, the expense with Sport TV was 1,170 euros, a value much lower than what could result from the 20 thousand euros contract, which indicated charges of around 7,023 euros. The review now determined substantially reduces this potential increase and adjusts the service to the number of accesses considered necessary.
Limiting yourself to two connections does not imply cancellation of your subscription, but rather a more restricted use of the service. The change allows us to maintain monitoring of relevant sporting competitions, while reducing the burden of spending on the São Bento Palace budget.
The agreement with NOS was renegotiated to reflect this reduction, translating into significant annual savings. According to the same source, the decrease in the number of channels represents a reduction of around 15 thousand euros compared to the initial scenario, without changes in the content offer available on the connections that remain active.
This change occurs in a context of greater attention to Government spending on communication and entertainment services. The rationalization of subscriptions is presented as a current management measure, aligned with the need to adjust old contracts to current conditions of use.
Measure included in expense containment
The reduction in the cost of Sport TV in São Bento thus becomes one of the first visible changes in the review of contracts inherited from previous years. The objective is to adapt charges to real needs, maintaining only those accesses considered essential.
According to her, the decision was implemented immediately, ensuring the continuity of the service with less expense. The cut in connections and the renegotiation of the global contract value reflect a containment strategy that could be applied to other services contracted by the State.
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