Italy

Cycling

Italian public-service broadcaster Rai and sports broadcaster Eurosport have renewed their deals for the Giro d’Italia, but the shorter domestic contract length and dramatic fee increase in both deals illustrates a more aggressive approach from commercial rights-holder RCS Sport.
Football

Italy’s antitrust authority, the AGCM, has rejected the guidelines outlined by Lega Serie A for the centralised selling of the next package of rights to the top division of domestic football and other competitions, stating they are too “vague” in their definitions of the process.
Multi-sport

Telco BT has said the accounting scandal concerning its Italian division will have no impact on its British pay-television broadcaster BT Sport.
Football

The vindication last month by a Roman court of the way Lega Serie A sold its media rights for the current cycle was absolute, but not definitive.
Multi-sport

Mediaset is set to make its Premium pay-television service and content available to other operators and could scale back its coverage of football if the rights become too costly, the Italian media group told investors yesterday (Wednesday).
Cycling

Italian state broadcaster Rai is set to sign a two-year extension to its rights deal for ‘Grand Tour’ cycling event the Giro d’Italia, according to multiple reports.
Multi-sport

German media group ProSiebenSat.1 has joined forces with French and Italian counterparts TF1 and Mediaset to forge a partnership in the online video sector.
Motorsport

Pay-television broadcaster Fox Sports has agreed a two-season deal for exclusive rights in Italy to the World Rally Championship motorsport series.
Football

The regional administrative court (TAR) of Lazio has scrapped a fine of €51.4m ($55.1m) imposed on media company Mediaset for alleged violations of competition laws in the 2014 sale of rights to Serie A, the top division of Italian football.
Football

The German Football League (DFL) has agreed rights deals in Austria and Switzerland, along with three other German-speaking markets, with pay-television broadcaster Sky, international sports broadcaster Eurosport and DAZN, the OTT sports subscription service operated by digital media specialist Perform.
Multi-sport

Vivendi chief executive Arnaud de Puyfontaine will meet Italian financial markets regulator Consob in Rome on Friday following complaints over the French media group’s growing interest in Italian broadcaster Mediaset, according to Reuters.
Motorsport

Mike Kiernan reviews television audiences across the big five markets for the recently concluded Formula One World Championship
Multi-sport

French media company Vivendi has upped the ante in its ongoing battle with Mediaset by stating it could acquire up to a fifth of the Italian broadcaster, leading to speculation over a hostile takeover bid.
Football

Agcom, Italy’s communications regulator, has launched a procedure that intends to define the rules for the sale of the next set of domestic rights to Serie A, the top division of Italian football.
Motorsport

Will Partington, research analyst for SportBusiness Intelligence, examines television audiences for motorcycling’s MotoGP World Championship in selected European markets.

The Infront Sports & Media agency has confirmed that Marco Bogarelli, president of its Italian division, and Giuseppe Ciocchetti, managing director of the regional subsidiary, are to leave the company.
Multi-sport

Italian broadcaster Mediaset and pay-television broadcaster Sky Italia are in “contact” over a possible deal for the former’s pay-television division, Mediaset Premium, according to Reuters.
Multi-sport

Pan-European pay-television broadcast group Sky is becoming more selective about what sports rights it seeks as it focuses more on entertainment content amid shifting viewing habits, according to chief executive Jeremy Darroch.