The international sports media company announced on Monday that it had acquired the rights to the Italian top flight for the 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. According to a report in Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, Lega Serie A had also received bids from UFA Sports, Pitch International, Kentaro, IMG Media, B4 Capital and Sportfive International. The multi-platform contract comprises television, online and Internet Protocol Television rights.

Lega Serie A has claimed that the new rights deal represents an increase in value of 30% over the current agreement. Although terms of the agreement were not disclosed, Gazzetta stated that every bid exceeded the Eur91 million per year currently paid by MP & Silva, which reportedly tabled the highest offer of Eur115-120 million per year for the 2012-15 rights.

“I think the work done by the Lega over the last two years has been appreciated,” said the organisation’s director general Marco Brunelli. “In the last two years our league has been seen in 200 countries worldwide and we will continue to offer a better quality product than in the past.” Riccardo Silva, president of MP & Silva, said: “Since 2004 Italian Serie A has been our flagship property, therefore we are glad to have confirmed those rights also for the next seasons.”

MP & Silva’s new agreement covers all territories worldwide with the exception of Italy. In 2010-11 Italy returned to collective selling of football broadcast rights following the introduction of legislation that overturned the 1999 decision to authorise individual selling.