Serie A finally has a broadcaster in the Middle East and North Africa after the Italian football league accepted an offer from Abu Dhabi Media and Starzplay.
The three-year deal, worth $79 million (€75m), follows a 12-month period when the matches were broadcast on a YouTube channel. During the first half of the season five games per matchday were available, but since February the entire programme had been streamed.
Rights holder beIN Sports had protested at a decision to hold three Italian Super Cup matches in Saudi Arabia, despite the Kingdom being widely held responsible for the piracy of beIN’s content over the ‘pirate’ beoutQ channel.
It had already suspended broadcast of the League in June 2020 before refusing to enter the tender fir the next round of broadcast rights.
The new contract received the approval of 16 of the 20 Serie A clubs immediately following the introduction of a new law designed to simplify contracts for international rights.
