Euro 2024: Rai brings the excitement and passion of the tournament to homes across Italy
Rai will be the official broadcaster of UEFA Euro 2024 in Italy, guaranteeing comprehensive coverage of the tournament across all its platforms.
All 51 matches will be broadcast live, with additional coverage planned across multiple channels and platforms. Rai will broadcast matches in both HD and UHD HDR, offering viewers an immersive and high-quality viewing experience.
In addition, RaiPlay and RaiPlay Sound will offer live streaming and on-demand access to all matches, highlights and analysis, allowing viewers to watch the tournament on their own terms.
Read more Euro 2024: UEFA’s technical broadcast plans
Fans will also be able to interact with Rai on social media, receiving real-time updates, behind-the-scenes content, interactive polls, and discussions, while the broadcaster’s website and app will provide full coverage of the tournament, including news articles, player profiles, match statistics, and exclusive content.
Rai will broadcast in-depth pre- and post-match programming, featuring expert commentary, analysis and interviews with players and coaches as well as producing highlights programmes and documentaries, reliving the most exciting moments and providing in-depth insights into the tournament. Dedicated magazine and talk shows discussing the tournament, featuring experts, journalists and fans will also air.
“Overall,” assures Iacopo Volpi, director of Rai Sport, “Rai’s extensive coverage and multi-platform approach will ensure that Italian fans can enjoy Euro 2024 to the fullest.
Read more: UEFA Euro 2024: Sky Italia prepares for an unforgettable summer of football
“Rai has organised a very dense coverage plan, from morning to evening for Euro 2024: we start very early by making internal connections to programmes such as [breakfast TV programme] Unomattina, live from Germany.”
Iacopo Volpi, director, Rai Sport
Towards lunchtime, there will be more important connections within Dribbling, a historic and flagship programme that will run on Rai 2 at 1.30pm for the entire month of the European Championships (14 June-14 July) and will last about half an hour.
Here, a presenter and a couple of pairs of talents will alternate alongside some of Rai’s historic commentators such as Angelo Di Livio and Domenico Marocchino, Katia Serra and football expert Laura Barte.
Rai will follow 31 matches live and, depending on how the round of 16 goes, will deliver nine matches at 6pm and the others at 10pm; so on nine days there will be a double match.
At 6pm, it will be the turn of presenter Francesca Spaziani Testa, slow-motion camera operator Mauro Bergonzi and some talent, often the same ones shared with Dribbling.
The television feed continues until 8.30pm when, switching to Rai 1, the pre-match will be broadcast, immediately after the end of TG1, at 9pm. Here too, there are two presenters and two talents in addition to the aforementioned slow-motion specialist.
“Rai’s extensive coverage and multi-platform approach will ensure that Italian fans can enjoy Euro 2024 to the fullest”
The two presenters here will be Simona Rolandi and Marco Lollobrigida; Bruno Giordano and World Cup winner Marco Tardelli will also be involved.
Volpi continues: “We have focused on experience and we are moving forward with exciting broadcasts until 11.10pm where the line-up passes to Notti Europee with Marco Mansocchi and Paola Ferrari and then Eraldo Pecci, Ubaldo Righetti, and a series of surprise guests, winners and top-level footballers, day after day.”
A bit of technology
At a technological level, Rai is fielding the best it has to offer, starting with 4K broadcasts. In addition to the live feeds produced by UEFA’s host feed with over 30 cameras, when Italy is on the pitch Rai will field two more of its own cameras for live integration.
In fact, for every match a small studio will be set up inside the stadium equipped with two cameras.
Comments and interviews will be produced from outside and on the pitch with Alessandro Antinelli, Daniele Adani, Andrea Stramaccioni, Alberto Rimedio, Raffaele Di Gennaro and others.
In Berlin
Rai will also utilise its production centre in Berlin as a hub for its on-site reporters. They will be equipped with backpacks for live radio connections and cameras for filming.
A dedicated group of four specialists will continuously follow the Italian national team, while a second group of three will handle filming for news broadcasts and multi-platform journalistic content in general.
Read more Euro 2024: UEFA’s live production plans
The editorial team will consist of three reporters, an editor-in-chief, a deputy editor-in-chief, and an editor who will handle all journalistic reports for the various news programmes.
The reporters will also follow the opposing teams closely, conducting in-depth interviews in dedicated mixed zones.
Rai also plans a daily series of fixed connections with Casa Azzurri, the headquarters of the Italian national football team.