Lega Serie A, the Italian football league, is set to split up its main free-to-air Sunday highlights package into two or more packages, after a league assembly voted on Friday to reject a low bid for the rights from state broadcaster Rai. The rights cover the three seasons from 2012-13 to 2014-15.
Rai is understood to have offered under a third of the €24.55 million ($32 million) per season it pays in the current two-year deal, which expires at the end of the current season.
Rai’s latest offer, which also included the domestic radio rights, would have enabled it to continue with multiple highlights programmes across its channels on Sunday afternoon and evening. Selling the rights by separate time-slot would allow Rai to acquire rights for its flagship early-evening show, Novantesimo Minuto, at the very least.
The league also rejected bids from the Pangea and Centro Europa 7 media companies, which had tabled offers for the live digital-terrestrial rights for eight of the smaller Serie A clubs. The league will continue talks with Pangea and Centro Europa 7 for the next 30 days to try to reach an agreement.