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ccording to Bloomberg, Amazon will bid for the 2021/22 to 2023/24 domestic broadcast rights for Italy’s top-flight football, Serie A.

Earlier this month, Serie A issued tender documents for the next rights cycle and provided a deadline date of January 26 for applicants, with the exclusion of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Both DAZN and Sky-Italia are expected to also place bids while the league raises a minimum of $1.8 billion per season for the three-year contracts.

Serie A currently holds a $1.5 million domestic broadcast deal with DAZN and Sky-Italia, with an 18% increase in minimum annual fee being sought by Serie A as a result of the deal being a year over its duration.

Thought to be in its final stages is a $2.6 billion deal, financing 10% of the league’s new media, whereby private equity firms CVC Capital Partners, Advent International, and Italy’s FSI will acquire a stake in a new media unit created by Serie A.

The acquisition of rights by Amazon would be expected to boost its Italian offering, which would include top pick Wednesday matches from the Uefa Champions League elite European club competition as of next season.

Three separate packages have been formed for bidders; Package A includes satellite platform rights, worth $784.7 million per season.

Package B includes exclusive digital terrestrial rights, worth a minimum of $627.8 million; and Package C includes a minimum covering co-exclusive internet, IPTV, and mobile platform rights, worth $392 million.

Serie A is also offering buyers a ‘gold’ package which includes ‘accessory rights’; alternatively, there is another set of bidding packages which are; $1 million, $392 million, and $235 million.

The first includes exclusive rights across all platforms, the second covers all platforms excluding internet, IPTV, and mobile broadcasting rights, and package three includes internet, IPTV, and mobile rights.

Amazon is reported to be bidding for digital packages, as previous acquisitions have indicated no inclination of a desire for involvement in satellite broadcast.

The digital giant may, however, opt for buying the other packages in order to sub-licence out the rights to other companies that offer traditional broadcasting.