Outcome of Serie A scandal gone unnoticed [Bonus Article]

Remember the Serie A scandal that I wrote about two years ago? Well, there are some updates on this front, but no one seems to be talking about them. I’m gobsmacked that there isn’t more widespread coverage because effectively, it has now been proven that the league was heavily damaged.

I’m going to try to recap this without using too much from the original article. But I suppose you just want to hear the backstory and don’t care too much whether the content is new or old. As long as it’s right. Anyway, it all dates back to 2019, when the Italian Competition Authority (ICA) published a rather interesting ruling. One that should have rocked the calcio world but, for some reason, didn’t.

It was revealed that the main TV rights holders for Serie A abroad, namely MP & Silva, IMG and B4 Capital, had been colluding before and during the bidding. By coordinating their bids, as well as exchanging sensitive information, the companies were able to effectively eliminate the competition. Upon securing the rights, the companies then split the profit from the eventual resale to broadcasters abroad.

Just hearing about it makes my blood boil, but at the same time, it almost provides us with an ‘aha’ moment as to why Serie A fell so far behind some of its rival leagues in the 2010s. It may have taken some time, but it’s not like the three companies got away with it, as the clubs have finally got a nice little boost from the legal battles. Since no one else is talking about it, allow me to do so in this article.