Lega Serie A, Italy’s top football league, will enter into private negotiations with companies seeking to secure the two domestic media rights packages that it has failed to sell in two formal tender procedures.
Package C includes ancillary rights such as access to changing rooms, the tunnel and the pitch-side area for interviews. Package E includes online, mobile and IPTV rights to three matches per week.
The rights are for three seasons, from 2015-16 to 2017-18.
In its original auction, in May, the league failed to elicit bids for Package E. The offers for Package C were well below the reserve price set by the league.
The league issued a new tender for the two packages earlier this month, with bids due in by July 15. No bids were received by the deadline. Companies have been asked to confirm their interest in private negotiations by July 24.
The league has so far brought in just under €945m ($1.285bn) per season for the rights for the next cycle in deals with pay-television operators Sky Italia and Mediaset Premium.
Sky is paying €572m per season for the rights to 380 matches, of which 132 will be exclusive. Mediaset will have the rights to the home and away matches of eight teams, including the top four, for a net outlay of €373m per season.
Sky and Mediaset will not bid for Package E as they will already hold internet simulcast rights for all their matches under the terms of their contracts.