Serie A: BBC Alba coverage evokes memories Gazzetta Football Italia delights fans

“I’m 42, so I loved the Channel 4 program and wanted it to be a nod to that,” said Neil Patterson, the BBC’s director of commercial, rights and business affairs.

“The BBC had extensive music deals with a company called BMG, and the title track was included in that, so it was pretty straightforward.

“I’m on good terms with the head of sport at Channel 4, so it was a courtesy to call them to let them know what we were planning. They were really happy and excited about it.”

Seven Scottish players, including Napoli Ballon d’Or candidate Scott McTominay, are playing in the Italian League this season.

“We realized at the end of last season that DAZN, which owns the Premier League rights, was willing to lease some international rights,” Cameron said.

“We’ve been thinking about this ever since because we want to capitalize on this really big moment in Scottish sporting history – returning to the World Cup with some great players playing in one of the best European leagues.”

While some broadcasters purchase television rights in order to sell subscriptions to sports programming and advertising, the BBC does so in order to offer the best value for money to license fee payers.

BBC ALBA is a partnership between the BBC and MG ALBA, which means the channel’s production is funded through the license fee and the Scottish Government. It broadcasts content in Gaelic, with syndicated commentary on Serie A matches featuring both Gaelic and English.

“Sport is really important to us. It’s a good way to reach underserved audiences in Scotland and offer them something that would normally be behind a paywall,” Cameron said.

“Our opportunities to attract significant attention online can be very limited, so we have to be aware of choosing the eight matches as intelligently as possible. The first match performed well.”