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| Inquiry launched into Sky Italia and Mediaset over Serie A football rights | Inquiry launched into Sky Italia and Mediaset over Serie A football rights |
| (44 minutes later) | |
| Italian regulators have launched an investigation into possible collusion between rivals Sky Italia and Mediaset – the country’s two major broadcasters – in connection with the 2014 sale of Serie A football broadcasting rights. | Italian regulators have launched an investigation into possible collusion between rivals Sky Italia and Mediaset – the country’s two major broadcasters – in connection with the 2014 sale of Serie A football broadcasting rights. |
| The Italian financial authority, the Guardia di Finanza, said it had conducted “inspections” in six locations in connection to the sale of television rights to the media groups owned respectively by Rupert Murdoch and Silvio Berlusconi, but declined to comment on the exact nature of the investigation. | The Italian financial authority, the Guardia di Finanza, said it had conducted “inspections” in six locations in connection to the sale of television rights to the media groups owned respectively by Rupert Murdoch and Silvio Berlusconi, but declined to comment on the exact nature of the investigation. |
| The competition authority, which was also involved in the inspections, said it had opened an inquiry into the broadcasters and professional soccer leagues in connection with bids for the 2015 to 2018 soccer championships. It said it was investigating possible “sharing agreements” between Sky and Mediaset and that it appeared that the final agreement between the parties did not necessarily reflect the bids that had been made. | The competition authority, which was also involved in the inspections, said it had opened an inquiry into the broadcasters and professional soccer leagues in connection with bids for the 2015 to 2018 soccer championships. It said it was investigating possible “sharing agreements” between Sky and Mediaset and that it appeared that the final agreement between the parties did not necessarily reflect the bids that had been made. |
| It said it was investigating the possible restriction of competition, against EU rules, and the possible exclusion of new entrants into the market. The authority said the probe would be finished by 30 April 2016. | It said it was investigating the possible restriction of competition, against EU rules, and the possible exclusion of new entrants into the market. The authority said the probe would be finished by 30 April 2016. |
| Sky Italia is a full subsidiary of Sky, Europe’s largest pay-TV broadcaster by number of customers, and its largest shareholder is Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox. Mediaset is an Italian media conglomerate owned by Berlusconi, the former Italian prime minister. | |
| Both groups share television rights to air Serie A football matches, Italy’s top league. Recent media reports have speculated that Sky had approached Mediaset about a possible takeover of the company’s unprofitable pay-TV business, Mediaset Premium, but the offer was rejected. According to a report by Reuters, the groups remained in informal contact over a possible deal. | Both groups share television rights to air Serie A football matches, Italy’s top league. Recent media reports have speculated that Sky had approached Mediaset about a possible takeover of the company’s unprofitable pay-TV business, Mediaset Premium, but the offer was rejected. According to a report by Reuters, the groups remained in informal contact over a possible deal. |
| Sky declined to comment about the investigation that was launched by Italian financial and competition authorities. Mediaset did not return a request for comment. | Sky declined to comment about the investigation that was launched by Italian financial and competition authorities. Mediaset did not return a request for comment. |
| The investigation centres on a deal that was hatched in June 2014 between the Serie A football clubs, Sky Italia, and Mediaset. The terms of the deal kept in place the previous TV deal, with Sky Italia preserving the right to air all live matches on satellite, and Mediaset winning all rights on digital terrestrial. | The investigation centres on a deal that was hatched in June 2014 between the Serie A football clubs, Sky Italia, and Mediaset. The terms of the deal kept in place the previous TV deal, with Sky Italia preserving the right to air all live matches on satellite, and Mediaset winning all rights on digital terrestrial. |
| Under the previous contract, the rights were valued at €2.487bn, while the new contract generated €2.829bn for the football clubs, an increase of 14%, according to a 2014 analysis by Tim Westcott of IHS Technology. | Under the previous contract, the rights were valued at €2.487bn, while the new contract generated €2.829bn for the football clubs, an increase of 14%, according to a 2014 analysis by Tim Westcott of IHS Technology. |
| Related: More than 50 arrests made in Italy as part of football match-fixing inquiry | Related: More than 50 arrests made in Italy as part of football match-fixing inquiry |
| “This is a respectable return, though less than the 23% France’s LFP [football league] achieved earlier this year and much less than the last auctions for the Premier League in the UK and Ireland and the Bundesliga in Germany,” Westcott wrote. | “This is a respectable return, though less than the 23% France’s LFP [football league] achieved earlier this year and much less than the last auctions for the Premier League in the UK and Ireland and the Bundesliga in Germany,” Westcott wrote. |
| He added that Mediaset appeared to have got “slightly the better” of the new rights agreement because it was awarded coverage of all 20 Serie A clubs from the start of the season and would have exclusive rights for Uefa Champions League in Italy for three years. | He added that Mediaset appeared to have got “slightly the better” of the new rights agreement because it was awarded coverage of all 20 Serie A clubs from the start of the season and would have exclusive rights for Uefa Champions League in Italy for three years. |
| The probe was revealed on the same day that news broke of another scandal in Italian football. About 50 people were arrested on Tuesday and 70 are under investigation over a match-fixing scandal in Italy’s lower leagues - the Lega Pro and Serie D, the third and fourth Italian football tiers. The match-fixing was allegedly linked to the Calabrian-based ’Ndrangheta mafia. | The probe was revealed on the same day that news broke of another scandal in Italian football. About 50 people were arrested on Tuesday and 70 are under investigation over a match-fixing scandal in Italy’s lower leagues - the Lega Pro and Serie D, the third and fourth Italian football tiers. The match-fixing was allegedly linked to the Calabrian-based ’Ndrangheta mafia. |