Sky Italia talks for Liga and Bundesliga go to the wire

Italian pay-television broadcaster Sky Italia has so far failed to renew its rights deals for the top Spanish and German football leagues, with the new season about to get under way in the two countries.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Mediapro, the agency which distributes the international rights for the Liga, is asking double the fee which Sky paid in its last deal.

If Sky does not renew for either, England’s Premier League will be the only one of the top European football leagues outside Italy that it will have rights for in the upcoming season.

Spain’s La Liga gets under way tomorrow. Germany’s Bundesliga begins next Friday.

Digital sports channel Sportitalia has acquired the rights to France’s Ligue 1 from next season. The MP & Silva agency sells the rights in Italy through a deal with the league’s global distributor, Al Jazeera Sport.

The agency has retained for a separate sale a package of 10 non-exclusive Ligue 1 matches featuring Paris St Germain, which will be of particular interest in Italy. The team is coached by an Italian, Carlo Ancelotti, and has recruited a number of top players from Serie A, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic from AC Milan.