Here's the statement about Serie A and ESPN Deportes. "ESPN International has decided to acquire TV rights in Latin America and Caribbean to Italian Serie A instead." It will be shown on ESPN Deportes starting in 2004, not this season rather next season.
Well, you have to be careful when talking about RAI in other countries - there are actually four different RAI International feeds that go out to different regions of the world. Some of them carry Serie A games while others do not. I can't recall which regions don't carry it - I'm pretty sure Asia, but I don't know about Africa. If you've gotten it before, you'll probably get it again because I think they'd signed a multiyear contract before last season.
NO. Gol TV holds English and Spanish-language US TV rights to Serie A through the 2004-2005 season, with first choice of games, up to 3 games each week. ESPN Deportes in the US has no rights to Serie A through 2005. ESPN Deportes US is NOT ESPN Latin America. They are two separate services. I wrote the statement you quoted, so I should know what I am talking about.
Yes, that's very funny for Dante to quote a statement in soccertv.com and don't know who da_cfo is... But ... you keep emphasizing GolTV would have the first choice of Serie A games, well, it look like RAI International also has that first choice of Serie A game: On Aug 31, 0900 EDT/0600 PDT (live): RAI International - Juventus x Empoli GolTV - Juventus x Empoli That's why I didn't believe your claim a bit to begin with. Of course, I was also wrong to think that one carrier would have the exclusive rights, that GolTV wouldn't have shown the Juventus game (and show the Inter x Modena game live instead). Apparently they treat the Spanish commentary and Italian commentary as separate products.
What about B? I remember last year Rai showed a few matches of B each week, but this year so far I haven't seen any (in the US version of Rai anyway). Will Rai be showing any matches of B this season?
Haven't seen any mention of Serie B games being shown this year. I had put it down to the delays in the season starting, but now I'm starting to wonder, too. It's been sort of hectic, but now they've settled on a Saturday night schedule until November when they'll move to Sunday afternoons through March before switching back to Saturday nights. The 8th round will be played on Sunday Oct 12 because Serie A is off that week for the national team game.
With no Serie A games this weekend, RAI International is showing one live Serie B game on Sunday morning and three others delayed over the following days. Here is the schedule (Eastern daylight time) Sunday Oct 12 9 am - Atalanta vs Triestina (LIVE) Sunday Oct 12 5 pm - Como vs Palermo Monday Oct 13 4:55 am - Catania vs Vicenza Tuesday Oct 14 5:10 am - Venezia vs Genoa Then they're going to continue the early-morning theme and show another batch of games from mid-week action at the end of the week: Thursday Oct 16 3:30 am - Ternana vs Catania Friday Oct 17 5:15 am - Atalanta vs Pescara Saturday Oct 18 5:15 am - Vicenza vs Como Not sure if they'll be showing multiple Serie B games each week from now on, or if this is making up for the missed weeks, or just a fluke. Wish they had some games with, say, Cagliari or Fiorentina, but I have a feeling it's a TV rights limitation.
It could be... Cagliari had a contract with tele+ (now SkyItalia) dating some years. Though we are in purgatory we're still in the italian top ten (number of fans). But also atalanta to name one now has a contract with Sky so... I guess then it's because they hate our freedom! Or, guessing again, it could be that the terms of the contract differ...
I don't know if this service is available outside of Italy. http://torocagliari.tiscali.it Torino - Cagliari broadcasted thru the net. 6 €uro. time 8.30 pm (local time)
Finally found a list of the Serie B teams whose home games RAI International has the rights to show abroad: Atalanta Catania Como Napoli Pescara Piacenza Ternana Venezia Verona Vicenza This weekend, the live game is Piacenza-Triestina with Venezia-Bari to be shown on tape at a time to be determined.