Sky Italia is seeking up to €1.9bn from TIM and DAZN over a 2021 Serie A distribution deal that Italy’s antitrust regulator ruled broke competition law
Sky Italia has filed a lawsuit seeking up to €1.9bn ($2.2bn) in damages from Telecom Italia (TIM) and DAZN, alleging the pair struck an anti-competitive deal that shut it out of Serie A distribution.
The claim was first reported by Reuters and confirmed by TIM in documents released alongside its first-quarter earnings.
At the heart of the case is a “Deal Memo Distribution” signed by TIM and DAZN on 27 January 2021, before Serie A had even awarded its broadcast rights for the upcoming three-year cycle.
DAZN subsequently secured the right to screen all Serie A matches in Italy for the 2021–2024 cycle for €2.5bn, before entering into a distribution partnership with TIM.
Italy’s competition regulator, the AGCM, took the view that the pre-award arrangement went well beyond a routine commercial agreement. Per the deal’s terms, TIM committed to financially supporting DAZN’s bid for the rights, guaranteeing a significant annual minimum payment.
In return, DAZN accepted constraints that the AGCM concluded reduced its commercial autonomy and distribution freedom – specifically, limiting its ability to partner with rival telecoms operators and locking Serie A content into TIM’s own offers on a preferential basis.
Regulators rule, appeals fail
The AGCM fined TIM €760,776 and DAZN €7.2m in July 2023 after determining that certain clauses in the agreement were anti-competitive. The sums were modest relative to the scale of the deal – but the regulatory findings themselves would prove to have far larger financial consequences.
Both TIM and DAZN appealed. The case moved through the Lazio TAR administrative court in 2024 and then the Council of State in 2025, with all rulings confirming the structure of the infringement.
The antitrust ruling became final last year after it was upheld by Italy’s top administrative court. In January 2026, the AGCM redetermined the sanctions: DAZN’s fine was reduced from €7.2m to €3.6m, and TIM’s adjusted to €760,776.
Sky takes the fight to civil court
With the administrative route exhausted, Sky moved to civil litigation. TIM confirmed it was notified of Sky’s lawsuit on 25 March and expects key hearings during the fourth quarter of 2026.
Sky is seeking approximately €1.1bn for alleged lost profits, with the total claim potentially rising to €1.9bn once interest and brand devaluation damages are factored in. TIM has indicated that any compensation awarded would be shared between TIM and DAZN under criteria yet to be defined.
Sky argues the TIM–DAZN agreement was structured to exclude it from the Serie A distribution market entirely. Its position in Italian football rights has weakened considerably with DAZN now holding exclusive rights to all ten weekly Serie A fixtures, and Sky holding only a co-exclusive on three matches per round.
The lawsuit does not seek to reverse that arrangement; DAZN’s current rights deal runs to 2029. Instead, Sky is attempting to convert years of alleged competitive harm into hard financial recovery.
