'Piracy devalues TV sports rights'

Which one?

Among those who resort to illegal viewing there is a large percentage of wealthy people who can afford football, do not pay and risk their reputation for one euro a day. This is a cultural issue that must be tackled head-on. Complicated but vital battle that is going in the right direction. Not least because, as Javier Tebas, the president of the Spanish La Liga, and Luigi De Siervo, CEO of the Lega Serie A, have stated, there is a whole industry that risks paying a very high price. Including the clubs.

From whom do you expect a more active role?

Yes, because those same rights are being devalued and risk being devalued even more without even more incisive action. To which it is important that everyone contributes: legislators, police forces, but also the clubs. The latter are the closest to the fan communities. They are the first point of reference and can play a more active role in triggering the necessary cultural change. In addition to the work being done at national level, it is equally important that clubs act at local level.

We are talking about piracy, but what is the state of health of Dazn, often the subject of less than favourable forecasts?

So much so, I would say, that we acquired the global rights to the Fifa Club World Cup in a historic deal. Then add Foxtel in Australia. That alone is enough to answer. The direction of growth is clear.

The issue of paid sport on TV is intertwined with that of the quality of the football product. Perhaps there is a need for improvement in this respect?

Certainly improvement is a key point. Football should open itself up to more experimentation to increase involvement. This does not mean, however, that we start from a low level, quite the contrary.

While talking about sport, one also comes up against the idea that football should be made available for free or almost free. 

The investments required for exclusivity are high and cannot be repaid by advertising alone. To equal the value of the rights of each season of Serie A would require collecting at least 15 times the value of the advertising programmed in Sanremo each year on the audience that the kermesse does. Assuming there are companies with that capacity and benefit from doing so. I say we should not go around the problem. More digital piracy equals lower value of rights, which then equals less willingness of broadcasters to invest. And that means less revenue for clubs. The equation is, unfortunately, all too linear.