It says clubs which signed up to 2011 with Media Partners & Silva for exclusive international TV and Internet rights to their Serie A home-matches include Bologna, Cagliari, Genoa, Torino, Perugia, Treviso, Bari and Triestina.
Fiorentina and Messina are also said to have entered long-term contracts, but for the next two seasons the rights for the two clubs will be distributed by other agencies in most territories (excluding Japan).
In all other cases, Media Partners & Silva says it is licensing its rights to the TV broadcasters as an independent and exclusive Serie A package, with no other agency involved.
Several clubs haven’t yet signed international rights contracts for seasons 2005/2006 onwards, so Media Partners and Silva say the package of rights could be increased over the next few weeks.
Media Partners & Silva adds that it is currently in negotiations to acquire exclusive international rights for AC Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan and AS Roma for a seven-year period starting from 2007/2008.
The agreements end the near-monopoly over Serie A clubs’ international rights enjoyed by another joint venture, between international sports agency Sportfive and Rai Trade, the distribution arm of Italy’s public service broadcaster Rai.
Yet there appears to be some uncertainty and dispute over the international rights of some clubs to which Sportfive and Rai Trade have already laid claim.
