The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) has given its green light to Italy’s Football League marketing framework for domestic TV rights covering the 2029/30 through 2033/34 seasons but attached strict conditions aimed at lowering costs for fans.
While acknowledging the League’s financial goals – currently targeting an increase from the baseline €900 million per season to support clubs and lower divisions – the Authority warned that broadcasters must not force supporters into excessive spending.
To foster genuine price competition, the watchdog issued several core mandates.
The League must design balanced packages that distribute big matches and peak time slots across multiple operators, paving the way for non-traditional players like Disney, Paramount, and Apple to enter the Italian market ahead of a prospective early 2027 tender.
The AGCM strongly favours reducing or eliminating long-term exclusivity, suggesting that exclusive rights lasting beyond three years stifle healthy market competition, innovation, and service quality unless paired with shared broadcast rights.
Should traditional packages go unsold, the League’s contingency plan for a direct-to-consumer thematic channel must remain strictly residual, adhering to strict duration limits and non-discriminatory distribution rules.
The Antitrust retains the right to intervene directly if the League’s final tender structures prejudice market competition or harm consumer welfare.
The TV rights concerned include Serie A, the Coppa Italia and youth tournaments.
