An important summer for sport begins on the Raiwith appointments like EURO 2024 in Germany and the Summer Olympics which will take place in Paris. In 2021, as highlighted in the 2022 Rai budget, these major events had cost state TV 133.5 million euros (traveling European Championships and the Olympics scheduled for Tokyo, both events postponed due to Covid).
This time, between Germany and Paris (which on television is worth much more than the Tokyo Olympics due to time zone issues) Rai’s investments for the two events – he writes ItaliaOggi – will come to touch the 150 million euros. For the football event in Germany from 14 June to 14 July, Rai has acquired the free TV rights, which will ensure 22 prime time matches on Rai 1 (including all those of Italy, which arrives as the defending champion) and another nine matches on Rai 2, for a total of 31 matches.
The total 51 European Championship matches will instead be visible on Sky. Rai has already bought the same TV rights for the European Championship 2028 which will be played in the United Kingdom and Ireland. «And this sporting event“, commented Giampaolo Rossigeneral director of Rai, «it explains well the unique value of public service broadcasting».
«On 3 January 1954 the first RAI broadcast, from Milan, was the Sports Afternoon. Rai and sport, therefore, are closely linked in the story of our nation. Furthermore, on the occasion of these Euro 2024 championships, Rai’s production and economic effort is unique on a continental level», adds Rossi.
This because “our match proposal is far superior to that of the BBC. In France, for example, the public service does not have the European Championship matches. And all this happens despite the fact that Rai’s public resources are in some cases even a fifth of those of other European public services. It is often forgotten that Rai is not a broadcaster like the others, it does not pursue commercial targets, but tells the story of Italy, all of it».
