Archive 30/07/2021

• Streaming platform 196 Sports, operated by Mister C, will offer all games of Italian football’s third tier via iOS, Android, Smart TV and Cibor TV devices
• North Sixth Group will serve as the North American operating partner
• Enrico Romagnoli, CEO of 196 Sports: “Proud to offer fans of Lega Pro across the world a high-quality experience.” 
• Francesco Ghirelli, President of Lega Pro: “Serie C boasts 60 clubs that are rich with history and tradition. We are happy to make our fans across the world feel at home.”
• Giovanni Zurleni, CEO of Eleven Sports: “Happy to export Lega Pro across the world with our American partner Mister C LLC and their 196 Sports platform.”

NEW YORK, July 29, 2021 – On 196 Sports, the platform operated by Mister C, millions of Serie C Italian football fans across the world will now be able to follow their favorite teams. Beginning this season, 196 Sports will broadcast live all of the 1,100-plus Serie C matches, as well as exclusive content, match highlights, player and coach interviews and various news on the 60 clubs in Serie C. All content will be available to subscribers on iOS, Android and Smart TV devices. In addition to mobile and smart TV viewing, all subscribers of 196 Sports will be able to follow the matches on Cibor TV, the leading decoder device that enables Italian expats living across the world to watch the games regardless of what country they reside in.

The initiative was made possible thanks to an agreement signed by Lega Pro, Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico (Italian League of Professional Football), ownership of Serie C TV channel, Eleven Sports, the distributor of the same channel, and Mister C, whose goal is to maximize the distribution of Italian third tier football matches across the world.

The exclusive partner of 196 Sports in the North American market will be North Sixth Group. Based in New York, North Sixth Group will support marketing, sales and customer service initiatives on behalf of 196 Sports subscribers in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“We would like to thank Lega Pro and Eleven Sports for supporting us and for choosing us to be the global streaming partner of Serie C,” said Enrico Romagnoli, CEO of 196 Sports. “Fans deserve a global platform that provides them with a high-quality viewing experience so they can enjoy the games of their favorite clubs and stay updated on the latest news as is they were in Italy. We are proud to offer them this unique experience on our platform and we cannot wait to share in many exciting seasons of football with Lega Pro fans across the world.”

“We are pleased to be able to reach millions of Serie C fans across the world,” said Francesco Ghirelli, President of Lega Pro. “Our league is the largest professional football league in Europe, with 60 teams representing all geographic hubs across Italy. We are proud to know that, from this point forward, our product will be in the hearts of millions of our fans who live abroad. We want them to feel at home, as if they were in their city of origin, cheering with their friends and families.”

“The common goal with our partners is to reach the most amount of sports fans across the world and to create new value for our customers,” said Giovanni Zurleni, CEO of Eleven Sports. “For this reason, together with Mister C and Lega Pro, we wanted to expand our editorial effort and place the fans at the center of our distribution strategy for Serie C TV. We are pleased to collaborate on a common growth path with our partners.”

For information or to subscribe to 196 Sports, visit www.196Sports.com.

LEGA PRO

Founded in 1959, with headquarters in Florence, Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico (Lega Pro) is the third tier of the Italian professional football system. Commonly known as “Serie C”, Lega Pro includes 60 teams divided geographically in three groups, making it the largest professional football league in Europe. Every season, four teams from Lega Pro get promoted to Serie B, inclusive of the winner of each group plus the winner of the playoffs. In the 2020-21 season, Alessandria, Como, Perugia and Ternana earned promotion from Lega Pro to Serie B. For more information, visit www.lega-pro.com.

196 SPORTS

196 Sports is a new streaming video platform available on iOS and Android, as well as Smart TV devices. With 196 Sports, subscribers from all countries can access all of the 1,100-plus Lega Pro games during the season, as well as pre and post-game content, player and coach interviews and match highlights. All content is available in high-quality, offering customers an enjoyable viewing experience and enabling fans to follow their favorite club from any country in the world. For more information, visit www.196Sports.com.

NORTH SIXTH GROUP

North Sixth Group, with headquarters in New York, is the exclusive partner of 196 Sports in the North American market. North Sixth Group is a family office operating company with holdings in a variety of sectors, including media, marketing, technology, and sports and entertainment. Additionally, North Sixth Group dedicates financial, networking and human capital resources to a variety of community and philanthropic initaitives focused on passion, purpose and progress.

ELEVEN SPORTS

ELEVEN SPORTS is an international provider specializing in the broadcast of sporting and lifestyle events. ELEVEN reaches more than 30 million fans across the world throughout their linear channels and OTT platforms with the goal of providing sports content to fans in an innovative, flexible and accessible way. In just a few years, ELEVEN has expanded to European markets including Belgium, Poland, Portugal and Italy. ELEVEN’S expansion has also reached Asian markets including Myanmar, Taiwan and Japan. ELEVEN has built an expansive TV rights portfolio that includes Serie A Italian football in the markets of Poland, Belgium and Myanmar, Serie C in Italy, La Liga in Belgium, Poland, Portugal and the UEFA Champions League in Portgual.

Ghirelli: “ll Club di Bolzano rappresenta il connubio vincente tra calcio e territorio”

“Esempio del Druso sia da traino per rendere gli stadi della Lega Pro luoghi di innovazione sociale e digitale”

Bolzano, 30 luglio 2021. Oggi a Bolzano il presidente del Sudtirol Walter Baumgartner ha presentato la nuova squadra per la stagione 2021-2022. È stata l’occasione per una ricognizione sui lavori del nuovo Druso e per una visita al Centro sportivo del club con Francesco Ghirelli, presidente della Lega Pro e Marcel Vulpis, vice presidente vicario. Il club del Sudtirol rappresenta una felice identità tra territorio e calcio, capace di amministrare le proprie attività con una spiccata leadership ed elevate qualità organizzative.

Francesco Ghirelli ha sottolineato: “Sono venuto per rimarcare la vicinanza con i club dopo una stagione terribile. Qui c’è un esempio virtuoso di collaborazione tra pubblico e privato, di cui la ristrutturazione dello stadio Druso e la realizzazione di un Centro sportivo all’avanguardia sono i fiori all’occhiello. Un modello che ho voluto rimarcare anche mentre abbiamo presentato il piano di ristrutturazione degli stadi della Lega Pro nell’ambito delle possibilità offerte dal PNRR. Abbiamo condiviso questo programma con le autorità governative, l’Istituto del Credito Sportivo e l’Anci. Un programma che considera lo stadio non solo luogo della competizione sportiva ma polo di innovazione sociale, digitale, capace di creare nuova occupazione. Gli stadi della Lega Pro possono essere un volano per la ripresa del Paese e un nuovo luogo di socialità. Ora dobbiamo passare ai progetti concreti sul territorio. L’esempio di Bolzano ci dice che possiamo farcela. Ed, ora, riapriamo in sicurezza gli stadi al pubblico e la speranza tornerà per dare fiducia al Paese”.