Italy’s top football league, Lega Serie A, has ended private negotiations with broadcasters over a series of packages of media rights and has called for bids by tomorrow, Tuesday, May 15.
Bids have been requested for two packages of free-to-air highlights. The league has held talks about the rights with state broadcaster Rai; commercial broadcaster Mediaset; Telecom Italia, owner of the La7 commercial channel; and pay-television operator Sky Italia, which owns the free-to-air channel Cielo. A bid has also been requested from Rai for radio rights.
Meanwhile, the second division, Serie B, launched a tender process for its live pay-television rights for the next three seasons, from 2012-13 to 2014-15. The rights have been split into six packages, three for satellite transmission and three for digital-terrestrial operators. For each technology, broadcasters can bid for: Package A, containing the Saturday matches of the top 12 teams; Package B, containing the rights to the Saturday matches of the other 10 teams; and/or Package C, for the rights for the matches played on Friday and Monday evening. Most Serie B matches are played on Saturday afternoons. Packages A and B cover the whole season, including the end-of-season play-offs. Package C excludes the play-offs.