Spanish TV production group Mediapro has reportedly offered Italy’s football league Serie A a deal worth €1.15 billion to set up a dedicated TV channel.
According to the Financial Times, Italy’s top football clubs met on Monday to discuss the deal but no agreement has been reached yet. They are expected to continue negotiations with a final vote due next week.
Mediapro wants to create a dedicated TV channel that would broadcast Serie A matches from 2021. As well as top-tier matches, the new channel is expected to include live TV shows and transfer news, highlights and friendlies, potentially adding other matches from minor leagues and Coppa Italia.
Mediapro initially won the exclusive domestic rights to screen Serie A in 2018 but forfeited the tender after it could not provide financial guarantees to the league in time Serie A then reopened the tender process with Sky and DAZN gaining the rights to screen matches in Italy until 2021.
According to the FT, Mediapro’s proposal would be worth a minimum of €1.15 billion to the clubs a season for the three year period 2021-2024. Mediapro is also offering €55 million a season for rights to Serie A’s archive.