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Business of TV Sport
Sportel Monaco 2011

Three bidders for Italian Super Cup

Italy’s top football division, Lega Serie A, has opened private negotiations with three broadcasters for the live and highlights rights to the Italian Super Cup for the next two seasons, 2010-2011 and 2011-12, after failing to elicit bids in its auction of the rights by the July 26 deadline.
State broadcaster Rai, which has traditionally shown the event, faces competition from commercial rival Mediaset, and the small porn and football pay-per-view channel, Conto TV. This season’s final, between league champions Inter and Coppa Italia winners Roma, will take place at the Meazza Stadium, San Siro, Milan on August 21.

The league is also finalising non-exclusive new-media rights deals. It has sold mobile rights to one telco and internet packages to three operators, one of which is thought to be the website of the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper. The league is hoping to conclude at least one further mobile deal and two to three further internet deals. The current mobile rights-holders are Telecom Italia, Vodafone and 3. The reserve price for mobile rights was just over €7 million per season. The internet rights packages cost €455,000 per season.