Lega Serie B launches rights tender

Lega Serie B, the governing body of the second tier of Italian football, has launched a tender process for the sale of its next set of broadcast rights.

The rights on offer are for the three seasons from 2018-19 to 2020-21. The main package comprises rights to all matches each season, with a significant uplift specified in the minimum price requested.

Pay-television broadcaster Sky Italia is Serie B’s current domestic rights partner with its three-season deal due to expire at the end of the 2017-18 campaign.

Sky has paid a total of €64.5m ($79m) for its current contract, but the Lega has specified a minimum price of €60.5m per season for the main package of rights.

The Lega has stated that rights can be assigned in one of two ways, either to a traditional operator in the broadcast or media sector, or to an independent intermediary or agency.

The deadline for submitting offers has been set at May 7.