According to La Repubblica, Italy's antitrust authority has called on Serie A to reduce the exclusivity of broadcasting rights and open the market to more operators.
Italy's antitrust authority has approved the guidelines set by Serie A for selling television broadcasting rights for five seasons, from 2029/30 to 2033/34, including the Coppa Italia and youth competitions. The authority demands "absolute fairness, transparency, and non-discrimination" among operators and recommends exploring broadcasting rights distribution models that would benefit consumers through better pricing and services.
Serie A plans to launch a tender next year, opening competition to operators who have previously struggled to enter the market, such as Disney and Apple. The league intends to maintain its current model of selling different packages to different broadcasters. The antitrust authority hopes that more operators will have access to packages and suggests eliminating exclusive rights in favor of packages containing a large number of shared matches, while also ensuring an equitable distribution of key matches and prime viewing times. If the five-season authorization period remains in effect, exclusivity should be removed from some matches as well. If certain packages remain unsold after private negotiations with operators, Serie A's self-operated pay channel can serve as a fallback option, but only as a last resort when broadcasting rights cannot be sold elsewhere.
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