In a decisive move that reshapes the domestic sports broadcast landscape, Sky Italia has secured the exclusive pay-TV rights to Italy’s premier basketball competition, Lega Basket Serie A (LBA), for the next three seasons—covering 2025–26 to 2027–28.
The deal, confirmed on July 14 following a formal tender and private negotiation phase, marks the end of DAZN’s run as the league’s pay-TV rights holder and reinstates Sky’s influence in Italian basketball broadcasting.
What’s Included in Sky’s LBA Coverage:
- 60 regular season games per year (2 per matchweek)
- Extensive playoff coverage, including 2 quarterfinals per day, all semifinals, and the full final series
- Complete coverage of the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana
- Free-to-air rights for the Supercoppa Italiana, expanding reach
- Content distributed via the Sky Basket channel and the NOW streaming platform
This development enhances Sky’s basketball portfolio, which already includes the NBA, EuroLeague, and EuroCup, alongside the 2025 EuroBasket national teams tournament. The integration of Italian domestic basketball into this lineup strengthens Sky Basket’s positioning as the country’s central hub for elite basketball content.
Background: Why This Rights Deal Matters
Sky’s acquisition signals more than just a broadcast shift—it reflects growing competition in Italy’s sports media economy and evolving fan consumption patterns.
DAZN had initially entered the LBA scene via its 2022 acquisition of Eleven Sports. However, lacking satellite infrastructure, it had to sublicense coverage to Warner Bros. Discovery’s Eurosport to meet LBA’s distribution requirements. WBD also held a separate agreement for free-to-air coverage via DMAX and Nove, which included one weekly game and key fixtures such as the Coppa Italia and playoffs.
Now, Sky consolidates all premium rights and FTA access, offering both scale and streamlined delivery through a vertically integrated media ecosystem.
