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Reuters
a day ago
- Business
- Reuters
Serie A chief blames illegal streaming for Italy's decline
June 18 (Reuters) - Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo has pointed to illegal streaming and the resulting lack of TV revenue as a factor behind Italy's struggles to nurture homegrown talent as the Azzurri strive to return to the World Cup for the first time since 2014. Once a permanent fixture at the World Cup, four-times world champions Italy find themselves in dire straits having missed out on the last two editions and at risk of missing out on a third after losing their first qualifier against Norway. Italian authorities recently intensified efforts to counter online piracy, which is costing billions of euros to broadcasters and sports leagues globally as they try to protect the value of their broadcast rights. TV rights make up the bulk of revenue for Serie A teams and De Siervo said "there is still a mountain to climb" after they lost revenue to the tune of 300 million euros ($345.15 million) last year. "Many question why our national team is in this situation and why there is a lack of talent, one reason being the losses due to piracy," De Siervo said at an event on the fight against piracy. "All the money that is lost every year is not invested in the youth teams and in the growth of our young players, a major issue that has led our national team to face many difficulties. "In addition to this, the age-old facilities do not allow the clubs and the system to obtain high revenues. This has to be changed and this law goes in the right direction." De Siervo said if they continue to lose revenue, Italy and Serie A could tumble down UEFA's coefficient rankings. "We are already far behind the Premier League and the Spanish LaLiga," he added. "If we continue like this, we will finish behind the Germans and we will end up being at the bottom of the table (of Europe's top five leagues) together with the French." ($1 = 0.8692 euros)
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
From NFL to NBA to MLB, this is how Trump's ‘Big Beautiful Bill' could make your favorite sports team a loser
President Donald Trump 's 'Big Beautiful Bill' could kill off a key tax deduction — one that lets professional sports teams save billions on expenses such as player contracts — which would make it harder for teams to spend money on top championship-winning talent. The version of the massive tax cut and spending package that passed the House last month included language that would've cut how much sports teams can deduct as expenses for "intangible assets," including player contracts and media rights. It wouldn't apply to current team owners, but sports leagues such as the National Football League have warned that limiting the valuable tax deduction would cut teams' overall value when franchises are up for sale, forcing owners to pass costs on to fans to recoup their money. A Trump-linked pollster named David Lee told GOP senators that 71 percent of voters agree with getting rid of the deduction, but the draft bill released by the Senate Finance Committee last night does not include the House language to kill it off, Axios reported Tuesday. Numerous Trump allies who also own NFL teams are pushing the president to save the deduction, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and Denver Broncos owner Rob Walton. The president has a long and contentious relationship with professional sports leagues, including the NFL, which he turned into a political target during his first term in the White House after players such as former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick engaged in protest against police violence by kneeling during the national anthem before games. Trump's attacks on the NFL were part of a long-running feud he has had with the league dating back to the 1980s, when he made numerous attempts to purchase one of the league's 32 teams. In 1981, he attempted to buy the Baltimore Colts from then-owner Robert Irsay, and he did so once more two years later even though Irsay told him it would be 'a waste of time' for him to try, according to the late owner's testimony during a 1986 court case. He also tried to purchase the Dallas Cowboys franchise around the same time but reportedly declined just before he purchased a New Jersey-based franchise in the league's short-lived spring rival, the United States Football League. That effort spectacularly failed when the league collapsed after just three seasons. But Trump appears to have mended fences with the country's most popular sports league. Last month, he hosted NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris in the Oval Office to announce that the nation's capital will host the 2027 NFL draft on the National Mall. Trump appeared with Goodell, Harris and Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser to reveal the location for the annual event, during which the league's 32 teams select from the nation's top collegiate players. The event has traveled to various cities in recent years and has become a huge moment on the league's calendar with thousands of fans attending the three-day celebration. The president said the draft would be 'beautiful' when it takes place on the historic area between the Lincoln Memorial and U.S. Capitol. 'It's going to be something that nobody else will ever be able to duplicate,' he said.
Washington Post
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
PWHL unveils expansion draft and signing guidelines for its 2 newest teams in Seattle and Vancouver
The PWHL's two newest franchises in Seattle and Vancouver will begin stocking their rosters early next month through an exclusive free agency period followed by an expansion draft. Under the guidelines announced Monday, the six existing teams will each lose four players during the two-phase process beginning with a signing period spanning June 4-8 followed by an expansion draft June 9.
