Story
Carlyle, Bain, Oaktree Prepare Bids for Serie A International Media Rights Stake, Sources Say
A consortium of prominent private equity firms, including Carlyle, Bain, and Oaktree, is preparing to submit binding bids for a minority stake in a new company that will manage the international media rights for Italy's Serie A soccer league, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Italian private equity firm Nextalia is also expected to be among the bidders.
Deal Structure and Valuation
The deadline for binding offers is September 4, according to the sources. Investors are expected to bid for a 10% to 20% stake in the newly formed venture, which would also control Serie A's betting and sponsorship businesses outside of Italy.
The sources indicated that the unit generates approximately €200 million in core earnings and could be valued at between €3 billion and €4 billion. The process to solicit interest from potential investors was initiated earlier this year by JP Morgan, which is advising Serie A on the potential sale.
Strategic Context
This move represents the latest effort by Serie A to attract external investment to bolster its international profile and revenue. The league's international media rights currently generate around €250 million annually, a figure that significantly trails competitors like England's Premier League and Spain's LaLiga, according to UEFA data.
AdThe Italian league has faced challenges in growing its overseas media sales due to a crowded global soccer calendar, dominated by an expanded UEFA Champions League, and the widespread popularity of rival leagues. This potential partnership mirrors similar private equity investments in the media rights businesses of other major European leagues in Spain and France.
Previous Hurdles
A previous attempt by Serie A to sell a stake in its more lucrative domestic media unit collapsed in 2021 after failing to secure sufficient support from its clubs. Any new agreement for the international unit will require the approval of at least 14 of the 20 clubs that comprise the league.
Carlyle, Bain, Oaktree, Nextalia, and Serie A all declined to comment on the matter, according to Reuters. Oaktree is notably the current owner of Serie A champions Inter Milan.
Read next
More on Stocks
FTC Orders Walmart, Uber, Delta to Disclose Data on Personalized Pricing
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is demanding nine major companies, including leading retail, travel, and gig economy firms, to provide information on how they use consumer data for setting individual prices and wages.
Google Launches Gemini 4 Carbon AI Model to Bolster Cybersecurity Capabilities
Alphabet's Google has unveiled Gemini 4 Carbon, its latest AI model specifically designed for advanced cybersecurity tasks like vulnerability detection and secure code generation. The launch escalates competition with rivals OpenAI and Anthropic in the enterprise AI market.
Oracle Shares Surge After Unveiling $225 Billion Revenue Target for 2030
Oracle stock rose sharply after the company presented a long-term financial outlook targeting at least $225 billion in annual revenue by fiscal 2030, driven by its expanding AI infrastructure business.
DOJ Scrutinizes Nvidia's $12.9B Hugging Face Deal Amid Broader Antitrust Probe, Sources Say
The U.S. Department of Justice is reportedly examining Nvidia's planned $12.93 billion acquisition of AI platform Hugging Face as part of a wider, ongoing antitrust investigation into the chipmaker's market conduct.