Mediaset secures Serie A highlights, RAI secures Cup rights

Italian broadcasting group, Mediaset, has secured three-year deal for the free-to-air rights to Serie A highlights, starting with the 2005/06 season. Mediaset, a three-channel network owned by Premier Silvio Berlusconi, won the rights by securing €93.5m, compared to state broadcaster RAI's protest offer of only 100 euro. Mediaset already owns the rights to broadcast live the Serie A matches of a number of clubs on its pay digital channels.

RAI, who won the rights to Italian Cup matches for both TV and radio, has questioned the legality of the auction and after having failed to block it may now take the matter before the courts.

The rights were auctioned off by the Italian Football Federation which still has to award the highlight rights for Serie B as well as the radio rights for the first and second divisions.