For the first time ever, Italian football fans face the prospect of having to subscribe to both digital platforms in order to follow the complete 1999-2000 season on pay-TV. On July 14, Italian digital TV operator Stream announced plans for its coverage of the upcoming football season, which is due to start on August 29. At a news conference held in Rome, Stream said it had signed seven out of 18 first division clubs – Roma, Lazio, Parma, Fiorentina, Venezia, Udinese and Lecce.

In order to receive ‘Stream Calcio’ subscribers must buy-through the ‘Blu Stream’ basic package. The Stream Calcio service consists of a number of options. Stream promises that the TV coverage will be innovative, with new camera angles, a round-up of action from the other matches as well as a second audio channel, which will carry live coverage from around the ground.

Stream’s rival, Telepiu owns the pay-TV rights to the other 11 clubs: Inter, AC Milan, Juventus, Bari, Bologna, Cagliari, Perugia, Piacenza, Torino, Verona and Reggina and offers four football packages costing between L35,000 (Pounds 12) and L1,200,000 However, that is where the situation gets complicated for viewers because if one wants to watch all home and away matches of one team there is no choice but to buy two decoders, one for Stream and the other for Telepiu, at least until both operators reach a compromise.