Serie A, the 900 million league is back in action, ready for the new TV tender
A new tender for television rights from 2029 will take place in the autumn. JP Morgan is analysing the report on overseas markets, with the initial findings due at the end of September
The kick-off is just around the corner. In the meantime, however, Serie A is already looking ahead to 2029. It’s best to act in good time to avoid finding themselves in a tight spot. It’s happened in the past, and those in charge at Via Rosellini want to keep such situations as far away as possible.
On Saturday 22 August, the league kicks off again; DAZN will stream all 380 matches and Sky will broadcast 114 of them. This is the TV schedule that will accompany Italian football for another three seasons. But within the League’s headquarters, as mentioned, preparations are already underway for the next step. The bidding process for the rights from 2029 to 2034 is set to begin this autumn. And that is when we will see just how much Serie A is really worth to TV broadcasters and streaming platforms. And whether – and to what extent – other players – namely the media giants making their mark in Europe: Amazon, Paramount Skydance, Disney and Netflix, first and foremost – will want to invest in Italian football.
The process is now underway. The guidelines for the marketing of audiovisual rights for the five seasons from 2029–30 to 2033–34 are currently under review by the relevant authorities: the Competition Authority and AGCOM have begun scrutinising the document. The ‘no-single-buyer’ rule remains in place – meaning no exclusive rights for a single operator – whilst the possibility of co-exclusivity is being formalised. And the League’s pay-TV channel re-emerges as a last resort should the bids prove unsatisfactory.
This is no minor matter. The 2024–29 domestic cycle has brought in around 900 million euros a year for Italian football: 700 million from DAZN and 200 from Sky. This is less than the average of 927.5 million from the previous cycle, although the agreement with DAZN includes a revenue-sharing mechanism which could, in theory, boost the League’s takings. The other frontier is the international market. Here, the Serie A League has turned to JP Morgan, with whom discussions are currently underway regarding international rights. According to *Il Sole 24 Ore*, the adviser is due to present the initial findings of this work to the League at the end of September. At present, international rights generate around 250 million a year.
In the meantime, the present remains in the hands of DAZN and Sky. The former announced yesterday new shows, on-demand Originals content, in-depth vodcasts and interactive features, with the app remaining active seven days a week. DAZN holds the broadcasting rights to all 380 matches, with exclusive coverage of seven out of the ten matches on each matchday. Sky offers three on a co-exclusive basis. Two different models: for Access Industries’ streaming service, Serie A is at the heart of its offering in Italia; for Sky, it is one component of a portfolio that also includes European cup competitions and other sports. And, as far as football is concerned, having Como in the Champions League and Milan and Juventus in the Europa League represents a new development that could well play into the hands of Comcast’s media company.
