Mediaset steals Atp Finals from RAI: deal for free-to-air rights from 2026
The agreement provides for the broadcast, on the Cologno group's networks and platforms, of a selection of eight of the best matches from the tennis tournament
Now there is also the signature. Mediaset has snatched the free-to-air part of the Nitto Atp Tennis Finals from Rai. The announcement came from the Cologno Group itself, which writes that it has "reached an agreement to acquire the free-to-air television rights to the Nitto Atp Tennis Finals for the next multi-year cycle, starting in 2026, further expanding its offer of great sport on free-to-air".
The one that arrived from Mediaset to Atp Media, which holds the rights, would have been an economic offer decidedly higher than that of Viale Mazzini. Mouths sealed, but there is talk of four million euros per year, with Publitalia expecting to collect, in terms of advertising revenue, more than double the amount paid.
Certainly for public television, this is a loss that risks triggering further controversy at an already delicate moment, with the company in turmoil due to the Petrecca case and the unfortunate telecast of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina.
For Mfe-Mediaforeurope (the name of the group's holding company to testify to its vocation for international expansion) it represents an important strategic blow. According to what has been communicated by the group, the agreement foresees the broadcasting on Mediaset networks and platforms of a selection of eight of the best matches of the tournament (broadcast in its entirety by Sky, which holds the pay-TV rights for the entire competition), with the absolute protagonists of the world ranking on the court. And it is a non-trivial asset given that tennis is one of the fastest growing sports in the country today. Adriving the phenomenon is above all the boom in Italia tennis, led by Jannik Sinner and a new generation of players who are bringing back enthusiasm and an audience in front of the screen.
The Atp Finals represent one of the most prestigious events of the tennis season: every year they bring together the eight best players in the world in a competition that awards one of the most coveted titles on the circuit. The 2026 edition will take place from 15 to 22 November at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, a city that will continue to host the event (although Milan is emerging as a possible candidate for the future), which has now become a staple on the national and international sporting scene.
