Italy

Pay-television operators in four of the five top European television markets reported growing numbers of subscribers

Football World Cup agency Infront is close to acquiring the Milan-based agency Media Partners in a €130 million cash deal.

German viewing also falls, Spain and Italy see audiences rise

The revamped Golden League athletics series has still to win television coverage in two of Europe’s top five television markets.

Italy’s government is seizing upon the match-fixing scandal which has engulfed Serie A to push through new measures on television rights for football.

Football:  Italian pay-television operator Sky Italia acquired the pay-television rights to all 64 matches of the 2006 World Cup, 39 of which it will show exclusively, in a deal with the Infront agency.  Sky is paying an estimated €40m (£27.3m) for the rights.  The deal also includes the rights to this year’s Fifa Confederations Cup, the Fifa World Youth Championships and the 16 26-minute preview programmes produced by Infront (page 1).

Dramatic tournament attracts best-ever audiences in four key markets

Rai, Mediaset and Sky will be the big losers if Serie A champions Juventus are relegated to Serie B next season as a result of the match-fixing scandal.

Football: New Spanish commercial channel La Sexta, which launched last week, acquired the rights to this year’s World Cup.

Fernando Alonso’s strong start to the Formula One season continued to attract Spanish viewers this season.