TV rights: Sky offers half a billion to have Dazn matches

The history of Italian football TV rights for the three-year period 2021-2024 is a puzzle that is far from over. After days hijacked by the stew yes / stew no dilemma, here we are at a new, potential twist: an offer from Sky to Dazn that would further modify the offer. Sky has in fact sent a letter to the “rivals” for Serie A rights with a proposal that can be read like this: I Sky will give you half a billion (the figure hypothesized by the “Sole 24 Ore”, but others are also circulating) and you make available your seven games (three are already co-exclusive) on one of my satellite channels (to understand how 209 has been in recent years) and your app on my Sky Q.

Is the satellite back?

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So the product – including commentators – would be all of Dazn, while the “vehicle” insured by Sky would be added, which would then become the only one on satellite. In this way, the Comcast media company would allow its subscribers to continue to watch the entire Serie A, in addition, moreover, to the Champions (except the 16 of Amazon), the Europa League and the Conference League. But the elements to be defined are many. Should the Sky subscriber still pay a fee to Dazn as happened in the past? It is likely that, in the event of an agreement, it will go in this direction, but everything is still to be decided.

The conflict with Tim

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Above all, there is a front at stake. Although Sky’s offer is not exclusive and therefore leaves Dazn all the margins to transfer the rights to other players, Tim – according to what the CEO says. Luigi Gubitosi – has instead signed an exclusive partnership, both from a technological point of view for the diffusion of the network, and as a distributor. “We are the only telco that can distribute subscriptions,” he said. The figure of that agreement, which was never disclosed due to a confidentiality clause, should be around 340 million and if this were confirmed, the only decoder enabled to broadcast Serie A matches would therefore be the Timvision Timbox. , leaving no room for Sky Q. Then there is a question of timing. As it turns out, Dazn’s response should arrive by the start of the European Championship. In practice today. Last night Sky and Dazn did not want to release any kind of statement or confirm the existence of the proposal, but it is very likely that a press release will arrive today to clarify. It is difficult to say if there is room for this sensational twist, but in this strange season, in which what seems safe today becomes absurd tomorrow, there is no room for certainties.