Italian commercial broadcaster Mediaset has acquired the rights to the Uefa Champions League club football competition for the three seasons from 2015-16 to 2017-18 and intends to exploit the contract through its pay-television platform Mediaset Premium, according to La Repubblica.
The Italian newspaper said Mediaset will pay around €700m ($945m) for the rights in a deal that will take them away from incumbent right-holder – pay-television broadcaster Sky Italia.
Sky’s current deal for the Champions League is due to expire following the end of the 2014-15 season and La Repubblica said Mediaset’s new contract is worth €70m more per year than Sky’s deal.
Uefa, football’s European governing body, last month launched invitations to tender for rights to the Champions League and Europa League in Italy. Bids were due by February 5.