To each their own. There is no choice. “For me it’s IPTV“, tells us for example Matteo*, a long-time supporter of Inter Milan. Others have opted for Telegram. “We share links in common supporter groups. It’s mutual aid“, reveals this time a fan from Juventus Turin, who bitterly regrets the current situation. Because yes, at the dawn of the eighth day, Serie A has still not found a broadcaster in France. Nothing. Nobody. So , faced with the impasse, the many supporters of Italian clubs present in France had no choice: place in system D.
“I had my subscription to beIN SPORTS, like many. It’s been years. But what did you want to do?“, asks another Italian football fan, who admits to having canceled his subscription to switch to IPTV. Before adding, as if to justify himself: “It’s not like I wanted it, on the contrary. I even asked friends for advice because I had never used this system. But if I didn’t do it, then I wouldn’t see anything… I know it’s illegal but at the moment, there is no other possibility.”
On the side of beIN SPORTS, broadcaster of the Italian championship for twelve years, we “does not wish to comment on the current call for tenders“. The Qatari group, whose contract expired at the end of last season, simply no longer considers the rights to Serie A as a priority. At least not at the price of previous years. The teams (commentators, journalists, etc.) are only rarely informed about the file. The vagueness is total and given the time that has passed and the days that have passed, no one believes it anymore.
We are at a complete standstill
Two other broadcasters then tried their luck. And are still in the game: DAZN, which recovered the TV rights to Serie A in 2021 in Italy under the nose of Sky Italia, the historic channel (which has since recovered three matches in co-broadcast), and The L’Equipe channel, which seemed close to reaching the goal before the international break for the poster of the day. In vain. “We are at a complete standstill“, deplores the Lega, which nevertheless hoped to find an outcome during the break. Yet another failure. But how can we explain this grotesque situation?
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If nothing has filtered out on the price set by the transalpine body, the latter likes to point out that several French internationals play in the championship. From Mike Maignan to Marcus Thuram, from Théo Hernandez to Benjamin Pavard via Florian Thauvin… The former Marseillais, author of a great start to the season, recently deplored this permanent black screen in France. “French players are numerous, it is the largest foreign colony. With big names. French broadcasters therefore have an interest in recovering Serie A. says another source. Coincidence (or not) of this whole story: Ligue 1 is not broadcast in Italy either after various seasons on Mediaset, DAZN and Sky. “It’s true, but the stakes are still lower. There are no more stars in this championship and no Italian international plays in France apart from Donnarumma“, recalls an actor in the file.
The Lega aimed for 250 million euros
If it recently found a buyer in Denmark until 2026, a country which was missing from its catalog, Italy is therefore waiting to find what it is looking for in France. The negotiations are led by an internal team at the League, headed by Anna Guarnerio, director of TV rights abroad. Unlike other years, the body did not call on an external consultant to carry out the procedures, thus doing without the services of groups like MP Silva, Infront and IMG. Before the start of the 2024-2025 financial year, the hope was to maintain around 250 million euros annually for broadcasting abroad. France remains a significant shortfall, but no one seems to want to make an effort.
On social networks, Calcio fans have expressed their anger over the weeks, deploring in particular a lack of clarity on this TV rights issue. Even the big (unofficial) accounts of the Italian behemoths (Juve, Inter, Milan, Roma, Lazio, Napoli, etc.) no longer hide their dissatisfaction, almost convinced of the black screen for the entire season. “We arrive at the 8th day, big shocks have already taken place, it is almost useless anymore. Everyone has found a solution to follow the matches, no one will go back and even less to pay more. C “It’s a waste for the world”, tells us a Fiorentina follower, who ended up realizing the facts at the end of the international break in September.
He opted for Telegram so as not to miss any of the adventures Viola in the league, while maintaining a subscription to Canal+ to follow Europa Conference League matches. He concludes: “For a fan, missing a match of his team is impossible. Whether he is in France or elsewhere, whether a broadcaster exists or not, he will always find a way to watch, you can believe me…“
*The first name has been changed
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