7th August 2012 This summer is an incredible sports season for Italy in which we assisted at the European Championship and the Olympic Games which are still developing. All these events are a huge profitable area for National broadcaster RAI, again sports protagonist this season. But balances among the main media players may rapidly change.
Sports rights are precious stuff especially for subscription channels and for pay per view broadcasters and RAI, forced to save money is risking of losing some privileges on football and moto gp and car racing too. Actually Italian satellite subscription broadcaster SKY Italia and terrestrial digital tv Mediaset have become very aggressive in such fields. Many in Italy believe that such social events should be in the hands of public broadcaster RAI, but nevertheless money reigns on sports.
Paolo Galimberti, President of RAI, last May had declared, while introducing the European football Championship: “I am happy RAI will broadcast European Championship, but it is not to be given for granted we will do the same in the future. For instance the French couldn't watch said championship on public television; and it is not sure even the next world football championship will be diffused by our public service.”
But nevertheless in the end RAI gained the right to broadcast the Italian Serie A championship for the next 3 years 2012-2015. So historical programs like “Novantesimo Minuto” and “La domenica Sportiva”, and “Stadio Sprint” are saved.
SKY offer bound to “Cielo”, free view channel, was refused by Lega Calcio because considered too low. After a first deserted auction, the Lega had decided to unbundle the football rights into several “packs” so RAI, forced to cut expenses, could finally manage to save several million euros instead of the 24 paid for this season. This prompted RAI to avoid pre-match rights and so famous Sunday afternoon “Quelli del calcio” won't be transmitted.
As far as Coppa Italia rights are concerned, which also gathered some 12 million viewers with the final between Napoli and Juventus confirming a very successful format, Lega Calcio issued a new auction and expect a substantial increase in revenues.
Maurizio Beretta President of Lega Calcio had declared: “The assembly accepted two offers by RAI for radio rights and for tv time from 18.15 onwards and private negotiation for the rest. The last chapter of TV rights is concerned with the offer of TIM Cup, while no agreements are reached so far as schedule and place for Supercoppa Italiana”.
Italian football will also be broadcast in China with 3 matches in 5 years.
RAI will not have the rights for Champions League since Mediaset on DTT gained them.
In the mean time SKY Italia gained the tv rights from Dorna Sport for MotoGP starting from season 2014 for all technologies and offers modalities, free view tv, pay tv, internet and mobile tv and SKY go on tablets. A total of 18 races, 8 of which in free view probably by “Cielo channel”, including 3 areas races of Motorcycle World Championship, MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3.
Mediaset will have the rights of Super-bike (previously owned by La7).
SKY Italia again seems leaping forward signing an agreement with Formula One Management from 31st March 2013 to live broadcast exclusive images of all events of World Championship FIA Formula 1 and plus one free view channel (RAI ??!) to broadcast 9 Grand Prix live, including Monza, and 11 recorded races.
