Italy’s football league may rescue Dahlia TV
January 26, 2011
From Branislav Pekic in Rome
Italy’s Lega Calcio Serie A could end up being the saviour of fledgling Italian pay-TV platform Dahlia TV, after Sweden’s Wallenberg Group decided to call it a day.
According to local media reports, the Italian Football League has already obtained a positive opinion, in principle, of the Competition Authority, Ministry of Economic Development, and liquidator Mauro Paolini. Negotiations with minority shareholder and owner of the transmission capacity, Telecom Italia Media, would also be required.
Such a solution would not only ensure competition in the digital terrestrial TV market, but also protect the estimated 270,000 Dahlia TV subscribers and would avoid a class action. Last but not least, it would save a large part of the E50 million of the TV rights for the Serie A but also money for the Lega B.
An extraordinary shareholders assembly of the Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A will take place on January 28th and one of the issues on the agenda will be the situation at Dahlia TV.