DAZN to introduce Full HD in Italy
November 19, 2021
From Branislav Pekic in Rome
Sports streaming service DAZN will make further investments in Italy to improve video quality, reduce buffering problems and boost its customer services.
These commitments were made during a meeting in Rome with Italy’s Minister for Economic Development Giancarlo Giorgetti and Undersecretary Anna Ascani.
In a statement issued after the meeting, DAZN stressed that it has already invested €2.4 billion for the Serie A TV rights, boosted the existing infrastructure through DAZN Edge and optimised the reception of images.
DAZN also promised it would introduce Full HD/1080p by the end of November and further develop multicast that will result in over 50 per cent reduction of buffering.
Meanwhile, Italian daily Corriere della Sera has reported that TIM Italia wants to review its contract with DAZN because the subscriber base has not grown as expected.
Unofficial estimates estimate between 550,000 and 700,000 subscribers to TIM Italia’s football package, while the goals were at least twice as high. This is partly as a result of widespread piracy, as at least 20 per cent of accesses to streaming football takes place through illegal platforms.
One possibility being mooted is the introduction of a revenue-sharing mechanism between the streaming platform and the telecommunications group.