2018-2021 Serie A TV rights: Mediapro will not pay the financial guarantees, due to Sky legal appeal

"The legal situation created by Sky to defend their privileged position in the Italian market prevents the Lega Serie A from guaranteeing to Mediapro the full and unfettered control of the audiovisual rights bought in the package. Mediapro will prove the financial guarantees to the Lega when it can be guaranteed these rights," announced the Chinese-Spanish group Mediapro on 26/04/2018.

The Court of Milan has suspended, until 04/05/2018, the tender for the domestic audiovisual rights of the Serie A for the 2018-2021 period, nominally awarded to Mediapro, on 06/04/2018, following a legal appeal from the pay-TV group Sky Italia on 16/04/2018. The companies concerned had, before this suspension, until 21/04/2018 (23:59) to respond.

Mediapro has been awarded, by the Lega Serie A, the domestic audiovisual rights to the Serie A for the 2018-2021 period as an independent intermediary, for an amount of €1.05bn, on 05/02/2018. Mediapro has put together a (nominally, sub-license) tender comprising seven lots (one for satellite, two for DTT, two for OTT, and two for IPTV), on 16/04/2018. None…