Rai

Italian state broadcaster Rai has secured rights to the Ski Classics series of long-distance skiing events.

The IMG agency and state broadcaster Rai have emerged triumphant in the international media rights sales process run by Lega Serie A, the organising body of the top division of Italian club football, sealing agreements worth a total of €1.113bn ($1.326bn).

Italy’s third-tier professional football league, Lega Pro, is heading for a substantial increase in the value of its domestic media rights after holding its first formal tender processes for both national and local broadcast rights.

Italian public-service broadcaster Rai and sports broadcaster Eurosport have renewed their deals for the Giro d’Italia, but the shorter domestic contract length and dramatic fee increase in both deals illustrates a more aggressive approach from commercial rights-holder RCS Sport.

Mike Kiernan reviews television audiences across the big five markets for the recently concluded Formula One World Championship

Joseph Rivers, research analyst for SportBusiness Intelligence, examines television audiences in selected European markets for the 2016 Paralympic Games.

David Svenson, research analyst for SportBusiness Intelligence, examines television audiences in selected European markets for the 2016 Olympic Games.

The MP & Silva agency is thought to have paid an increase of just under 35 per cent to renew its global rights deal with Italy’s top men’s volleyball league, Lega Pallavolo Serie A.

Sky Italia’s deal for International Basketball Federation (Fiba) national team rights this month is part of a broader plan to help revive the fortunes of the sport in Italy.

Sky Italia’s investment in this summer’s two major football tournaments – Euro 2016 and the Copa América Centenario – came as a surprise as the broadcaster had said it has abandoned its strategy of acquiring rights to major events. It does not, however, represent a U-turn – the deals were last-minute, opportunistic acquisitions.

Italy’s top basketball league, Lega Basket Serie A, is satisfied with the outcome of its recent domes-tic rights negotiations, even though total fees remain well below the level of five years ago.

Italian state broadcaster Rai has reached an agreement with the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR) to show games from the Pro12 European club tournament and the Eccellenza, the top division of Italian club rugby union.

The B4 Capital agency has agreed a deal with Italian state broadcaster Rai to distribute rights for Italy national football team home friendly matches in the Americas, the Middle East and North Africa.

Broadcast platforms from Italy, Canada, Japan, Russia and Germany have agreed deals to provide coverage of the International Paralympic Committee’s 2015 Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships A-Pool.

Italian state broadcaster Rai is the strong favourite to land the rights for Euro 2016, which were put out to tender this week, and is expected to do so at a substantial discount.

Italian state broadcaster Rai has retained its rights to the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana club football tournaments after agreeing a new three-year deal, from 2015-16 to 2017-18, with Lega Serie A.