As Italy gears up for its World Cup preparations, the country has struck a deal with Google to stream live football games online, starting with Italy’s first-ever live match.
The deal, which Google has not yet disclosed, is likely to be a big coup for the company in the eyes of European broadcasters and is likely also to attract interest from domestic TV providers.
The first Italian match, which will be played in Milan on Sunday, will be shown live on the company’s YouTube channel.
The company said the service was only available for people in the country who are subscribed to YouTube Prime.
The service is also available to subscribers of the Google TV service, which costs €4.99 per month.
Italian broadcaster RAI is one of the countries most widely watched sports channels.
It also aired the first live match in Italy, in March 2011, which was watched by millions around the world.
The match was played in the Turin city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It was the first of the three World Cups that Italy will host.
It will host the final on September 25, 2020.
