Digital giant Amazon is set to bid for the 2021/22 to 2023/24 domestic broadcast rights to Italian soccer’s top-flight Serie A, according to Bloomberg.
Serie A issued its tender documents for the next rights cycle earlier this month with a deadline for bids of 26th January. Incumbent broadcasters, Comcast-owned Sky Italia and global digital sports media company DAZN, are both expected to bid as the league seeks to raise a minimum of €1.15 billion (US$1.4 billion) a season for the three-year contracts.
Private equity firms CVC Capital Partners, Advent International and Italy’s FSI agreed to acquire a stake in a new media unit that is being created by Serie A. That €1.7 billion (US$2 billion) deal is yet to formally close, but it is thought to be in its final stages, with financiers acquiring ten per cent of the league’s new media company.
Should Amazon be successful it would bolster its Italian offering, which from next season will include top pick Wednesday matches from the Uefa Champions League elite European club competition.
Serie A has made three separate packages available for bidders. Package A covers satellite platform rights and is worth a minimum of €500 million (US$603 million) a season; Package B is worth a minimum of €400 million (US$482 million) for exclusive digital terrestrial rights, and Package C is priced at a €250 million (US$303 million) minimum covering co-exclusive internet, IPTV and mobile platform rights.
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