Italian media group Mediaset has entered a bid for the domestic rights to the 2018 and 2022 editions of national team football tournament the Fifa World Cup, according to multiple reports.
The Radiocor Plus news service said Mediaset is poised to rival long-term World Cup rights-holder, state broadcaster Rai, with one other broadcaster in contention.
World football’s governing body, aided by the MP & Silva agency, opened a tender process for free-to-air and pay-television rights at the end of August, with offers being entertained until September 12.
Rai secured rights for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups and Mediaset has never broadcast the tournament, which will take place in Russia and Qatar, respectively, for its next two editions.
In other news, Fifa has opened an invitation to tender in Oceania for media rights to Russia 2018, the 2018 U-20 Women’s World Cup in France and the 2018 U-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay.
The deadline for submissions to Fifa has been set at 5pm CET on October 9.