An Italian court has unexpectedly blocked the award of football rights that had been secured by Sky Italia for the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons.
It follows a legal challenge by rival broadcaster Conto TV against the decision by the Italian football association Lega Calcio. In a statement the league said it was surprised by the ruling and planned to appeal.
The award of the Platinum package is believed to have netted the league some €1.148 billion.
Meanwhile, Sky Italia has reported a $37 million (€26.5 million) fall in revenues, as increased programming costs took operating income to $128 million. Subscriber numbers of 4.8 million remained static for the second consecutive quarter.
