<p>DAZN and Sky will return as the domestic broadcast rights holders for Serie A. The upcoming deal runs for the next five seasons. Therefore, it will expire at the end of the 2028/29 campaign. The duo is paying a combined $4.8 billion for the five-year deal. As a result, Serie A is pulling in $960 million per season for its domestic broadcasting rights.</p>



<p>Going against the grain of modern TV rights deals, this offer is <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/serie-a-unable-to-get-favorable-offers-for-domestic-rights-20230620-WST-438704.html">below the current deal Sky and DAZN are paying</a> for Serie A rights. Under the deal that expires in June 2024, Serie A pulls in $992 million from DAZN and Sky. By comparison, the Premier League is making over $2 billion for its domestic TV rights deals with a trio of broadcasters.</p>



<p>Currently, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/serie-a-woes-continue-as-league-tries-to-sell-domestic-tv-rights-20230731-WST-446597.html">Serie A ranks fourth</a> against the other major leagues in Europe when it comes to domestic TV rights. The Bundesliga and LaLiga both earn over $1 billion each season. Meanwhile, Ligue 1 sits beneath Serie A at $621 million earned per season on domestic TV rights.</p>



<p>The length of this new deal with DAZN and Sky is also on trend with other leagues signing new deals. The five-year deal with the two providers locks in Serie A almost through the end of the decade. LaLiga is also in an extended deal that lasts five years. However, not everyone is overly pleased with Serie A staying on these two providers.</p>



<h2>Napoli owner slams DAZN and Sky for winning Serie A rights</h2>



<p>Out of the 20 current Serie A clubs, 17 voted in favor of the offer from DAZN and Sky. Notably, one of the biggest critics was outspoken Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis. After the deal’s vote went final, De Laurentiis quickly reaffirmed his disdain for the two broadcasters.</p>



<p>“It’s a defeat for Italian football, with this offer football will die,” <a href="https://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Serie-A/23-10-2023/de-laurentiis-sconfitta-per-il-calcio-italiano-sky-e-dazn-non-sono-competenti.shtml?refresh_ce" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Di Laurentiis said</a>. “Sky and DAZN are not competent, they are not good for Italian football. Italian football always thinks it needs to be supported by others, but the fans are the absolute asset of a football club. My relationship with the fans must be direct, not direct with Sky or DAZN.”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/10/16054141/imagewst-1200x675.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-464288" title="" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></div><figcaption>DAZN has various domestic rights in Italy, Germany and Spain. (IMAGO / Nicolo Campo)</figcaption></figure>



<p>De Laurentiis took particular exception with DAZN and Sky taking a lack of risks in how they broadcast the league. This year, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/laliga-brings-new-audiovisual-experience-to-live-broadcasts-20230817-WST-450602.html">LaLiga is undertaking change</a> with coach’s audio and up-close cameras on the sideline. Additionally, fans have further access into the dressing rooms to see and hear how team meetings go before, during and after games. </p>



<p>“The entrepreneur must know how to measure the area of ​​risk, it is more convenient but this will never implement the value of Italian football. The value of Italian football comes through investments. Sky and DAZN don’t make any.”</p>



<h5>DAZN to broadcast all games with Sky simulcasting three</h5>



<p>In this new deal with DAZN and Sky, Serie A will be fully available on DAZN. The streaming platform will have coverage of all 760 games each season. Sky will have a total of 114 games. That breaks down to Sky airing three fixtures during each matchday.</p>



<p>This is the same format Serie A followed in the previous rights deal from Sky and DAZN. Therefore, fans in Italy will be familiar with how and where the matches air.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / InsideFoto</em>.</p>


DAZN, Sky retain Serie A rights in Italy in $4.8 billion deal

DAZN and Sky will continue to broadcast the Serie A games for audiences in Italy through the 2028/29 campaign.

<p>With the new season underway, Italy’s premier league, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/serie-a-tv-schedule/">Serie A</a>, is at a critical juncture regarding its broadcasting and streaming rights. Current rights expire at the end of the 2023/24 season. With bids coming in <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/serie-a-woes-continue-as-league-tries-to-sell-domestic-tv-rights-20230731-WST-446597.html">below the League’s target</a>, there is now talk of Serie A launching its own service.</p>



<h5>Broadcasters failing to meet Serie A’s valuation</h5>



<p>Serie A has <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/serie-a-woes-continue-as-league-tries-to-sell-domestic-tv-rights-20230731-WST-446597.html">struggled to attract satisfactory bids</a> for the next media rights cycle. The league set a <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/serie-a-unable-to-get-favorable-offers-for-domestic-rights-20230620-WST-438704.html">target of around $1.25 billion per season</a>. However, the offers from DAZN, Sky Italia and MediaForEurope fell well short. </p>



<p>A key factor driving this aggressive stance is the financial disparity between Serie A and the leading European leagues. The English Premier League secured a domestic deal worth over $3 billion annually for 2022-25. Even Spain’s La Liga and the German Bundesliga earn over $1.5 billion and $1.2 billion respectively from their domestic rights. Serie A clubs are feeling the pinch from earning almost $1 billion less. </p>



<p>The league believes its commercial value merits deals on par with La Liga and the Bundesliga. Launching a direct-to-consumer platform would be a bold step toward actualizing that value.</p>



<h2>Going direct-to-consumer a viable option</h2>



<p>The lower-than-expected bids prompted Serie A to consider a drastic approach. It may launch its own direct-to-consumer streaming platform. According to Serie A chief executive Luigi De Siervo, the league has the infrastructure <a href="https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/serie-a-dtc-streaming-service-launch-tv-rights-sales-luigi-de-siervo/?zephr_sso_ott=BhFdEm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ready to distribute matches directly</a>. Speaking at an event in Milan, he said “We have the structure to offer [matches] directly to viewers….we are considering this option.” </p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Why Italian football has no money" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DqljJRzW2do?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
</div></figure>



<p>With bids not meeting expectations, De Siervo insisted Serie A will <a href="https://www.digitaltveurope.com/2023/09/05/serie-a-dangles-threat-of-own-service-as-it-seeks-to-talk-bids-up/#close-modal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">not accept unsatisfactory offers</a>. However, if the offers remain inadequate by the Oct. 15 deadline, the nuclear option of a Serie A streaming service appears likely. This represents a major shake-up. Serie A would bypass established broadcasters and back its ability to generate higher revenues independently.</p>



<h5>While risky, the strategy is not without merit</h5>



<p>Serie A can leverage its large global fanbase, the presence of elite clubs like Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan and star players like Lautaro Martinez and Rafael Leão. An owned-and-operated service offers full control over production, distribution and monetization. If marketed and priced effectively, a streaming platform could appeal to local and international audiences. And by owning a direct relationship with customers, Serie A keeps all the revenue rather than sharing it with broadcast partners. </p>



<p>There are challenges in taking this direct-to-consumer approach. Launching and operating a streaming video service from scratch is complex and cost-intensive. And Serie A would face intense competition for viewers’ time and subscription dollars. But the league seems willing to make this bold bet to transform its broadcasting model, back its product value and maximize revenues. If domestic bids remain low, Italian soccer fans may soon have a Serie A streaming service to call their own.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO &amp; Beautiful Sports</em></p>


Serie A considers direct-to-consumer streaming platform

With the new season underway, Italy's premier football league Serie A is at a critical juncture regarding its domestic streaming rights.

<p>British media regulator Ofcom <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/13/bskyb.television">announced today</a> that it was delaying a decision on a planned Sky pay-TV service for Freeview until a larger investigation into the entire pay-TV market can be completed later this summer.  The announcement makes a full decision on the Sky service unlikely before 2009.</p>
<p>Sky announced its plans for the pay-TV offering, called Picnic, in February 2007.  The plan calls for Sky to replace its three channels currently on Freeview with a subscriber-only service of six channels (four from Sky, two from third parties) sharing time on three streams.  One of the six channels would be Sky Sports 1, meaning subscribers would have access to Sky’s lineup of 92 Premier League matches a season.  Sky had hoped to launch Picnic before rival Setanta Sports, and their lineup of 46 Premier League matches per season, launched their channel on the Top Up TV pay Freeview service.</p>
<p>Freeview, launched in 2002, is a free digital TV service offered by a consortium of British broadcasters. It currently reaches 15 million households across Britain, 6 million more than Sky’s satellite offering.</p>
<p>Sky’s Picnic now finds itself becoming a part of the larger fight on pay-TV in Britain as a whole.  In March of last year, cable provider Virgin Media accused Sky of unfair pricing practices and abusing its dominant position in the market.  Setanta Sports, broadband television provider BT, and Top Up TV has since joined Virgin in its criticism of Sky.  Today’s ruling means the two investigations into Picnic and Virgin’s complaints will now be combined.</p>
<p>What does today’s delay mean?  It means Setanta, which is adding FA Cup and England national matches alongside the Premier League this fall, will have at least a two year headstart on Sky for Freeview customers.  And while Sky maintains an advantage in terms of sports subscribers at present, Setanta can continue to try and make progress on a major platform not available to their rival.  It also means that, for the moment, Virgin’s complaints has found some resonance with British regulators, which could mean future trouble for Sky and its plan to expand into more British households.</p>


Sky Pay-TV Freeview Plan Delayed

Sky Pay-TV Freeview Plan Delayed - World Soccer Talk

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