Lega Serie A, the organising body of the top division of Italian club football, is set to enter into private negotiations over its media rights with Spanish agency Mediapro after talks with broadcasters failed to result in an agreement satisfying its goals for its next domestic contract.
Lega Serie A last week entered into private negotiations with bidders for its domestic broadcast rights after offers opened on January 22 failed to meet the minimum revenue target of €1.05bn ($1.26bn) per season.
The Lega opened initial offers after issuing the tender documents for its next set of domestic broadcast rights earlier this month. The rights on offer are for the three seasons spanning 2018-19 to 2020-21, and two separate documents had been issued – one for pay-television operators, digital terrestrial television platforms and internet outlets, along with a subordinate tender intended for independent financial intermediaries.
Bids were due by January 22 and the Lega confirmed at the time that it had received five offers from broadcasters and media companies, along with one from an independent intermediary. The Lega declined to accept any of the offers and entered into private talks with broadcasters and media companies in a bid to reach the €1.05bn mark. The total of the highest offers received for the packages was €760m, according to Lega extraordinary commissioner Carlo Tavecchio.
In a statement released on Friday evening, the Lega said that Serie A clubs unanimously agreed to commence private negotiations with Mediapro, the only participant in the call to tender for independent intermediaries.
Italian newspaper La Stampa said Mediapro has made an initial offer worth €930m, plus royalties, adding that the result of last week’s talks saw pay-television broadcaster Sky Italia and media group Mediaset raise their offers for television rights to approximately €830m.
The rights tender is being managed by the Infront agency. Infront Italy managing director Luigi de Siervo said of the Mediapro offer: “The offer is linked to the project to create a channel in partnership with the Lega to be offered on every platform possible.”
Sky has reportedly responded to the failed private talks by stating it is ready to make a new offer for all packages under the tender. La Stampa said Sky has sent a letter to the Lega stating that it is prepared to develop a new ‘global’ proposal that would rival Mediapro’s.
Under the offer, Sky is understood to be willing to sublicense exclusively to other operators certain portions of rights, as well as offering its channels that provide Serie A coverage on fair and non-discriminatory terms.