The governance of top motorcycle racing has shifted from Dorna to Liberty Media, but the results are still not visible. We have faith and are waiting patiently. Meanwhile, as time passes, other sports are moving to claim attention. Even some sports that, at the moment, are the focus of interest of Italians and others. Such as tennis.
The Sinner effect is being felt off the court as well: thanks to the growing popularity of Italian tennis, more and more events are to be broadcast free-to-air. The new list of sports events of "particular importance for society " has been published in the Official Gazette, after the green light from the European Commission's Contact Committee. The Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, which inherited responsibility from Agcom, has been working for months on the update, which has been overdue for more than a decade.
It doesn't take a political and communications genius to wonder why despite the fact that there are currently as many as two Italian manufacturers at the top of motorcycle racing, Ducati and Aprilia, and at least two top riders like Francesco Bagnaia and Marco Bezzecchi, nothing has moved on our side. Whose responsibility is it to make Italian motorcycle racing the center of attention? The answer is obvious: the Italian Motorcycle Federation's. Who knows, maybe at this time when we don't even know who will be entrusted with the rights in Italy, whether it's Sky, Discovery or who knows who, they are moving to obtain something similar. Moreover how can we complain that young people don't watch and aren't interested in motorcycle racing if we don't show it?
What's changing in tennis
The semifinals and finals of Grand Slam tournaments, ATP and WTA Finals, Masters 1000s and WTA 1000s enter the new list - provided there are Italian players competing. The already scheduled events are confirmed: final stages of the Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup and Internazionali d'Italia. Also new is the United Cup, if the Italian team is present.
The FTA obligation, however, will not be triggered immediately: it will be necessary to wait for the expiry of exclusive contracts already signed by broadcasters. Sky, for example, holds the rights to the ATP and WTA circuits until 2028 and Wimbledon until 2030, while Discovery/Eurosport is tied to Roland Garros until 2030 and the Australian Open until 2031. The US Open already remains available free-to-air through SuperTennis.
Licensees will still have the choice of broadcasting the events on their own free channels (such as Tv8 or Nine) or sublicensing them. There also remains freedom on the mode: live or deferred, full or partial.
The regulatory framework
As of 2023, drawing up the list is no longer the responsibility of Agcom - now in an advisory role - but of the ministry headed by Adolfo Urso, which updated it through public consultation. An early version also included ATP 500 tournaments, which were later excluded after talks with Brussels.
The comment
For Massimiliano Capitanio, Agcom commissioner, the expansion represents "a guarantee for Italian citizens," expanding free access to major events and promoting the legal enjoyment of content, in line with the fight against piracy and the sustainability of the audiovisual sector.