Italy’s top-flight football league Serie A said that broadcast rights holders must pay the final instalment for the current season.
Serie A was suspended on March 9 and the Italian government will decide on Thursday whether it will give permission for the championship to restart, playing matches without spectators.
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Italy’s top pay-TV operator SKY, sports streaming services DAZN and global sports agency IMG have not paid the final instalment for the 2019/2020 season, totalling around €220 million, sources previously said.
“Lega Serie A’s executive committee confirms… that contractual conditions need to be respected,” the league said in a statement.
Serie A previously called on the rights holders to “respect the payment deadlines set out in the contracts in order to maintain a constructive relationship” at a meeting two weeks ago.
Sky’s chief executive Maximo Ibarra told the Ansa news agency earlier this month that it wanted to negotiate a solution with Serie A but none of its suggestions had received a response.
Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora has also suggested that matches could be broadcasted free-to-air.
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The instalment is part of a €1.3 billion annual fee which rights holders pour into Serie A’s club coffers to screen matches under a three-year agreement expiring next season.
