Serie A Plans to Launch Its Video Service as Broadcasters’ Bids Fall Short of €1 Billion Per Season
In light of recent developments, Italy’s premier football league, Serie A, is considering launching its broadcasting service to offer live football match coverage to fans directly.
This announcement comes as a response to the major broadcasters’ reluctance to meet the league’s valuation for broadcasting rights.
Serie A’s top brass, including Chief Executive Luigi De Siervo, have clarified that they possess the necessary infrastructure to serve live matches directly to their audience.
This proactive approach stems from negotiations with broadcasting giants DAZN, Sky Italia, and MediaForEurope. Serie A was hopeful for an offer of at least €1 billion per season for the rights to televise the matches over five seasons, starting from 2024-25. However, to their disappointment, no broadcaster was ready to meet this valuation.
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Currently, Serie A’s broadcasting rights, valid until June next year, are priced at €930 million. DAZN is the primary holder of these rights, accounting for most of the league’s media coverage.
It’s worth noting that broadcasting licenses are crucial revenue streams for Serie A clubs, with prominent names such as Napoli, the 2022/23 champions, Juventus, AC Milan, and Inter Milan heavily reliant on them.
The Serie A league has postponed their decision to sell these rights until October 15. This move comes after the received offers fell short of the league’s €1 billion annual benchmark for the subsequent five years.
Speaking at an event in Milan, De Siervo emphasised Serie A’s commitment to ensuring the league’s value is recognised. “We won’t accept offers deemed too low,” he stated, hinting at the league’s readiness to adopt a more direct approach to broadcasting if necessary.
While the outcome of these negotiations remains uncertain, Serie A’s consideration of an independent broadcasting service showcases the league’s determination to uphold its valuation and ensure that fans receive the best viewing experience possible.
In a significant move, Viacom 18, a joint venture between Network 18 (owned by Reliance Industries Limited) and Paramount Global, has bagged the rights to stream Serie A games in India. Their portfolio boasts coverage rights for esteemed EU football leagues, including La Liga and Ligue 1. Viacom 18 will be streaming the games through their JioCinema app.
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Ragul Thangavel
With over nine years of diverse professional experience, Ragul has made significant contributions across various domains, including Media Operations, OTT Technologies, Video Production, Ecommerce, and Social Media.
Holding an Engineering degree, Ragul's career took an unconventional turn when he discovered his passion for writing, leading him to begin his journey as a content writer.
His career has been exclusively dedicated to the growth and development of startups, where he has played a pivotal role. His unique blend of technical knowledge and creative prowess has enabled him to drive innovation and success in every venture he has been a part of.
