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Rai Trade
Turnover in 2009 amounted to 79
million euros, with a net result of 2.4
million euros, in line with 2008.
This result, which is of particular
significance considering the general and
severe market recession, was achieved
thanks to various initiatives in a number
of different business areas.
Sport
Revenues from the sales of Sport
amounted to about 22 million euros in
2009, growing compared to 2008, and
contributed significantly to company
margins.
The final results were characterised by
the following main activities:
- the joint distribution deal with
Sportfive of the international
broadcasting rights for the Italian
Football Championship;
- the cycling events included in the RCS
packet (Giro d'Italia, Milano-
Sanremo, Giro di Lombardia and
Tirreno-Adriatico), the home matches
played by the Italian national football
team (qualifying rounds and friendly
matches);
- the acquisition of the media rights to
market the friendly match played by
the Italian national football team
against New Zealand, in South Africa;
- the international sale of the themebased
channels of Inter, Juventus and
Roma, which confirmed the previous
year's excellent results.
Musical productions and publications
During 2009, the Musical Productions
and Publications Division consolidated
its performance level, with revenues of
over 19 million euros.
In detail: soundtracks, radio and TV
productions, record production,
contemporary and cultured music and
prose, media wave (the customisable
communication system for the
management and diffusion of audio and
video programming, pictures and texts
in public areas).
Marketing of TV, Home Video and
Theme-based channels
As regards foreign sales, this sector
recorded a result of 5.5 million euros,
despite the economic recession and the
lack of serial products of international
level.
The results achieved by the Cinema and
TV Fiction Series sector in terms of Italian
sales were satisfactory, with revenues
amounting to about 8 million euros and
significant growth linked to the increase
in revenues from the sale of licences.
During 2009, Home Video production
activities enabled the distribution of 22
series through newsagents, for a total of
225 products.
The distribution activity was made
possible thanks to entry into commercial
agreements with the main Italian
publishers. These included:
- a set of 30 DVDs distributed by the
Corriere della Sera, entitled 'Viaggio
nella Scienza';
- a set of 16 DVDs distributed by La
Gazzetta dello Sport and dedicated to
the programme SuperGulp which
went on air in the 70s, to give
youngsters the chance to rediscover
the legendary characters of the
cartoons broadcast at the time;
- a set of 16 DVDs dedicated to the
Giro d'Italia;
- a set of 13 DVDs, curated by Piero
Melograni, dedicated to the Second
World War.
The turnover of the Theme-based
channels exceeded 7 million euros,
including revenues from foreign sales.
Subscribers in 2009 were down slightly
in comparison to 2008, as the
permanent introduction onto the market
of digital terrestrial broadcasting, the
new frontier for distribution, increased
the rate of cancellation of subscriptions
to Sky by users of the channels
dedicated to football.
The stability of revenues, in the current
economic situation, was achieved by
renewing the distribution agreement with
Sky, subject to renegotiation during the
year, at much better conditions than
before.
A development plan for the relaunch of
advertising income was developed, as
this sector had touched extremely
unsatisfactory levels in 2008, leading to
the change of the concession holder by
mutual agreement.
2009 confirmed the importance of the
framework agreements entered into by
Rai Trade to enhance the value of Rai's
repertory, consolidating revenues by
over 2.5 million euros. The framework
agreements allowed Rai Trade to
disseminate knowledge of the Teche and
the heritage of the archives.
Initiatives within the New Media sphere
In comparison with the previous year,
2009 was particularly favourable for
Digital Extension activities, with a
significant improvement in sales (about
two million euros compared to the one
million of 2008). This was largely due
to the Sanremo Web and Ballando Web
initiatives developed, with a
commitment towards promotion of
direct interaction of the Rai
programmes with viewers, also prior to
their going on air, offering anyone the
possibility to get up on stage during the
finals of both programmes to display
their talents.
These new forms of interaction were
also beneficial to Rai web offering
which, thanks to the above initiatives,
obtained a record number of contacts
and access to the website linked to the
two formats.
In 2009 the first games for prizes
(serials) linked to Affari Tuoi, la Prova
del Cuoco and L'Eredità were
developed, the latter having much better
results than expected, which had very
positive effects on economic results
overall.
Lastly, the Digital Extension sector
released onto the market the first
application in Italy for Apple iPhone
terminals linked to the television
programme X Factor and is getting
ready to launch one for L'Isola dei
Famosi and for RadioRai.
Cartoons
The thirteenth edition of Cartoons on
the Bay, the International Television
Cartoons Festival, was held for the first
time in Rapallo and Portofino from 5 to
8 April 2009.
Thanks to a series of factors like an
opening up to cross-media, the change
of location and a new editorial
programme to renew content, the event
was extremely successful with both
audiences and the press. 404
programmes from 46 countries were
chosen to compete in the Official
Selection of the Festival.
Proof of the effectiveness of the new
formula, which attracted a broader
range of sponsors, lies in the fact that
Cartoons on the Bay succeeded in
bringing to Italy for the first time
Yoshiyiuki Tomino, the creator of
Gundam, and Talus Taylor, the creator
of Barbapapa.
Promotional events
Once again in 2009 Rai Trade
Screenings and international markets
represented the most important means
of communication and promotion for
Rai Trade, which was present with its
sales force on about 25 international
markets, also taking part in the most
important international festivals and
awards ceremonies.
Consumer product
In 2009 the Licensing sector confirmed
the previous year's turnover levels; once
again, the brands that contributed most
to the excellent performance were those
linked to the two programmes which
have also been confirmed as Auditel
champions for years: Affari Tuoi and La
Prova del Cuoco.