Sportnetwork

What Sportnetwork does

Sportnetwork (legal entity: Sport Network S.r.l.) is an Italian advertising concessionaire and multimedia sports media company founded in July 1999 and headquartered in Roma, with a secondary sales office in Milano. Operating as Italy's first sports-focused advertising sales house, the company consolidates advertising inventory across a portfolio of 14 print publications (6 daily newspapers, 8 periodicals), 18 websites, 18 TV stations (1 national, 17 regional), 8 local radio stations, and 23 live events — including iconic Italian sports brands such as Corriere dello Sport-Stadio (founded 1924), Tuttosport (1945), Guerin Sportivo (1912, the world's longest-running sports publication), Auto, Autosprint, Inmoto, and Motosprint. Its revenue is generated primarily through display and print advertising sales on behalf of these properties, complemented by event sponsorship and co-branded content partnerships.

The company's go-to-market is enterprise field sales: dedicated phone lines in both Milano and Roma handle advertising space inquiries, and pricing is not publicly disclosed but is typically structured as multi-year contracts. Distribution is single-country (Italy), with sales targeting advertisers and brands seeking access to sports audiences across football, motorsport, and broader sports demographics. In addition to advertising, Sportnetwork organizes and commercially exploits proprietary event properties including the European Golden Boy award (best under-21 European footballer, est. 2003), Car of the Year (international automotive award, est. 1964), the Rome Marathon (exclusive rights 2020-2025), Caschi d'Oro motorcycle awards, Rom-E sustainable mobility festival, AutomotiveLab Plug e-mobility fair, and Italian Padel Awards. The company holds a 51% stake in PG Esports (acquired from Fandango Club), extending its reach into the gaming vertical.

Technology infrastructure is largely undisclosed, with the notable exception of the Autosprint website, which was rebuilt in December 2021 on a Next.js/React micro-service architecture with DevOps deployment. Recent strategic activity (2021-2023) has emphasized ecosystem buildout: a DAZN partnership offering subscription discounts to newspaper readers, a Vivaticket integration embedding ticketing in Corriere dello Sport (making it Italy's first newspaper in sports/entertainment ticketing), and an Italo Magazine redesign distributed across NTV high-speed rail reaching 500,000+ travelers monthly. Sport Network S.r.l. is privately held with €415,000 in subscribed share capital, operates with 11-50 employees, and is part of a larger industrial group that owns historic Italian publishing houses, printing facilities, and tourism operations.

Name

Sportnetwork

Legal name

Sport Network S.r.l.

Website

https://sportnetwork.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sportnetwork is an Italian advertising concessionaire and multimedia sports media company that manages advertising sales across 14 newspapers, 18 websites, 18 TV stations, 8 radio stations, and 23 live events for advertisers and brands seeking to reach Italian sports audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advertising Services (Sports Media Concessionaire)

NAICS

Media Buying Agencies (541830), Media Buying Agencies (54183), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAAABAO

Sponsorship & Sports Media Rights Buying

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Media Planning & Buying Agencies

SECONDARYMPAAAGAE

Sponsorship & Sports Experiential Marketing

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Experiential & Event Marketing Agencies

SECONDARYMPAKALAK

Sponsorship Sales, Valuation & Analytics Services (Rights Sales, Measurement, Consulting)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Sponsorship & Endorsements

SECONDARYMPAKALAH

Hospitality, VIP & Experiential Sponsorship (Suites, Fan Zones, On-Site Activations)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Sponsorship & Endorsements

Keywords

• Sports advertising sales
• Media concessionaire
• Sports media network
• Event sponsorship sales
• Cross-platform advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

Milano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising Sales: Sport Network generates revenue by managing advertising sales across its portfolio of sports media brands including newspapers (Corriere dello Sport, Tuttosport, Guerin Sportivo), magazines (Auto, Autosprint, Motosprint, Inmoto), websites, TV stations, and radio stations. Revenue comes from display advertising, print formats, and co-branded content partnerships.
2. Event Management: Sport Network organizes and manages sporting events (Golden Boy, Car of the Year, Caschi d'Oro, Rom-E, marathons) and sells event sponsorship and advertising opportunities associated with these properties.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sport Network is Italy's first sports-focused advertising concessionaire, managing the collection of online and offline advertising for 14 newspapers (Corriere dello Sport, Tuttosport, Guerin Sportivo, etc.), 8 magazines, 18 websites, 18 TV stations (1 national, 17 regional), 8 radio stations, and 23 sporting events. The company sells display, print, and co-branded advertising to brands and agencies seeking access to Italian sports audiences, and also organizes and commercializes major sports and automotive events such as the Golden Boy award, Car of the Year, Rom-E, the Rome Marathon, Caschi d'Oro, AutomotiveLab Plug, EICMA coverage, and the Italian Padel Awards.

Product overview

Sport Network is an advertising concessionaire and multimedia sports media company founded in July 1999 as Italy's first sports-focused advertising concessionaire. The company operates a diversified portfolio spanning print publications (14 titles including Corriere dello Sport-Stadio, Tuttosport, Guerin Sportivo, Auto, Autosprint, Inmoto, Motosprint), digital properties (18 sports, motors, and news websites), television (1 national + 17 regional broadcasters), radio (8 local stations), and live events (23 marathons, prestigious awards, and trade fairs). The portfolio includes major awards like the Golden Boy (football) and Car of the Year (automotive), festivals like Rom-E (sustainable mobility) and AutomotiveLab Plug (electric mobility), and esports operations through PG Esports partnership. The company offers integrated advertising services combining display, print, and co-branded formats across its media properties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corriere dello Sport - Stadio National daily sports newspaper founded in 1924, headquartered in Rome, providing real-time sports information, analysis, and commentary on football, golf, basketball, volleyball, tennis, and motorsport for Italian sports enthusiasts.
• Tuttosport Daily sports newspaper founded in 1945 and headquartered in Turin, available in 4 editions, with particular focus on Juventus and Torino football clubs plus coverage of Serie A, B, C, Champions League, Europa League, calciomercato, motorsport, basketball, volleyball and tennis; publisher of the European Golden Boy award.
• Guerin Sportivo Monthly sports periodical published since 1912, recognized as the world's longest-running sports publication, covering football and other sports with detailed statistics, features and editorial commentary for Italian sports enthusiasts.
• Auto One of Italy's most important monthly automotive magazines, covering automotive news, road tests, car price listings, and e-mobility; also organizer of the international Car of the Year award.
• Autosprint Weekly motorsport magazine founded in 1961 in Turin, covering Formula 1, World Rally, WTCC, and all four-wheel racing competitions including karting, with road tests by professional drivers and major industry news.
• Inmoto Monthly motorcycle magazine founded in 1987, targeting motorcycle enthusiasts with comprehensive coverage of models, road and bench testing, news, special features, tourism sections, production updates, and electric vehicles.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DAZNcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 October 2023Strategic partnership between Corriere dello Sport-Stadio, Tuttosport and DAZN. Offers readers a special promotion: 75 euro discount on annual DAZN Standard subscription (first 5 months at 14.99 euro/month instead of 29.99 euro). Combines journalism with live sports streaming content.
• Italo (Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 October 2023Sport Network manages commercial operations for Italo Magazine, distributed on all Italo trains, in Italo Lounges, and digitally. The magazine reaches over 500,000 travelers monthly and serves as a marketing platform for Sport Network to reach high-value demographics (managers, entrepreneurs, graduates).
• VivaticketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Partnership enabling ticket sales for sports, theater, and music events through Corriere dello Sport-Stadio. Corriere dello Sport became the first newspaper in Italy to enter the sports and entertainment ticketing market via vivaticket.corrieredellosport.it.
• PG EsportscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Sport Network acquired 51% of PG Esports from Fandango Club to expand into esports and reach new young demographics (Millennials and Gen X). Partnership aims to grow the gaming market in Italy and Europe, combining Sport Network's sports media expertise with PG Esports' gaming knowledge.
• CityLife Shopping DistrictminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted Car of the Year 2024 exhibition of finalist vehicles at Piazza Tre Torri in CityLife Shopping District, Italy's largest urban shopping center with 32,000 m2 of space and design by Zaha Hadid Architects.
• LifeGateminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSustainability information and services network participating as partner in Rom-E festival's October 6th conference on environmental topics.
• Sky SportminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner for Italian Padel Awards 2023, contributing to informational and media coverage of the event.
• RDS 100% Grandi SuccessiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial radio partner of Rom-E festival, actively promoting the event and sustainability messaging to its 5 million listeners through music programming.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cairo Communication: Italian media and advertising group (owner of La7, RCS MediaGroup stake, Cairo Pubblicità) operating a comparable multi-platform advertising concession model across TV, print, digital, and sports. Most structurally comparable Italian peer given shared concessionaire model and overlapping Italian sports/editorial coverage.
• RCS MediaGroup: Major Italian publishing group (Corriere della Sera, La Gazzetta dello Sport) with in-house advertising sales and sports media properties that directly overlap with Sport Network's portfolio (Corriere dello Sport, Tuttosport compete against Gazzetta dello Sport). Direct competitor for both editorial and advertising budgets.
• Manzoni: Italian advertising concessionaire owned by Mondadori that sells advertising across print, digital, radio, and outdoor channels. Operates the same concessionaire business model as Sport Network in Italy, with overlap on Italian print display advertising inventory.

Broad incumbents

• Mediapro: Spain-based global sports media rights and production group managing media rights, advertising sales, and content production for major sports properties (Serie A, UEFA events). Comparable in the sports advertising/media rights sales domain, but operating at significantly larger scale and across multiple geographies.
• Infront Sports & Media: Global sports marketing company managing media and marketing rights for major sports events (including the Rome Marathon, currently held jointly with Sport Network). Directly comparable in sports rights commercialization, sponsorship sales, and event operations across multiple sports.
• IMG (Endeavor): Global sports and entertainment rights, events, and media company that handles media rights sales, sponsorship activation, and event production. Comparable to Sport Network at the events/sponsorship/media rights layer, though operating at much greater scale and breadth.
• Sportfive: Global sports marketing and media rights company specializing in sponsorship sales, media rights distribution, and digital sports content. Comparable as a sports-focused advertising/rights commercialization business serving brands and rights holders.
• Discovery / Warner Bros. Discovery Sports (Eurosport): Global sports broadcaster and rights holder (Eurosport, TNT Sports) that monetizes sports audiences through advertising and subscription. Comparable to Sport Network in the sports media monetization layer but operates at vastly greater scale and across multiple markets.

Regional players

• DAZN Media: Global sports streaming platform and media rights acquirer with strong Italian presence. Partner to Sport Network through Corriere dello Sport / Tuttosport DAZN promotion, and competes for sports media budgets via subscription and advertising inventory.

Others

• Nielsen Sports: Sports sponsorship valuation, media measurement, and analytics provider. Comparable only in the sponsorship valuation/analytics dimension of Sport Network's value proposition (not in media sales), but referenced by the company as an adjacent sports sponsorship ecosystem player.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sportnetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sportnetwork