Rai Sport
Italian sports television channel operated by the public broadcaster RAI.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Rai Sport is the sports television channel and digital sports-media brand of RAI, Italy's state-owned public broadcasting network. The service was launched in 1999 to provide dedicated coverage of sports events and sports news within the RAI portfolio. Its programming serves an Italian audience and combines live or recorded event coverage with recurring news, analysis, and informational formats. The channel's role is broader than that of a single-event broadcaster. It provides a national outlet for Italian sport while also carrying selected international competitions and sports programming. Its distribution has included Italian digital terrestrial television and the Sky Italia platform. The channel has also been associated with high-definition distribution, reflected in the Rai Sport HD and Rai Sport + HD identities. Rai Sport's history includes several changes to its channel structure and branding. Rai Sport 2 was introduced as a sister channel on 18 May 2010, expanding the sports offering for a period. That second channel was later closed on 5 February 2017. Rai Sport + HD launched on 14 September 2015, restoring a Rai Sport + identity that had previously been used between 2009 and 2010. These changes indicate a recurring effort to adjust the service's channel configuration and technical presentation while retaining Rai Sport as the core sports brand. Alongside event coverage, the service broadcasts multiple daily editions of Tg Sport. The cited schedule includes a morning edition at 9:00, featuring a press review and touchscreen presentation; an afternoon edition at 14:30 from Monday through Saturday; and a late-night edition at 23:30 from Monday through Friday. This news component gives Rai Sport a continuous editorial function rather than limiting it to occasional live broadcasts. Rai Sport operates within RAI's public-service broadcasting structure and is therefore closely connected to the wider broadcaster's national television and digital news operations. Its current web presence is hosted through RaiNews' sports section. Publicly available reference material identifies Italy as its principal market and does not establish a separate international corporate structure, independently listed status, or distinct ownership beyond RAI. Information about current executives, financial results, and detailed rights agreements is not established in the supplied sources.
History
Rai Sport was created in 1999 by RAI as a dedicated Italian sports television channel. Its launch gave the public broadcaster a distinct home for sports coverage rather than distributing all sports programming across its general-interest channels. The service has been used to present Italian and international sporting events, together with sports journalism and related programming. The brand's development has involved both additional channel capacity and changes in technical identity. On 18 May 2010, RAI launched Rai Sport 2 as a sister service. The second channel broadened the available sports schedule, but it was eventually closed on 5 February 2017. A separate Rai Sport + identity had been used between 2009 and 2010; this branding was revived when Rai Sport + HD launched on 14 September 2015. Rai Sport has been distributed through Italian digital terrestrial television, including high-definition transmission, and has also been available through Sky Italia. The service is aimed primarily at viewers in Italy and remains part of RAI's broader public broadcasting portfolio. Its web presence is connected to the RaiNews sports site, extending the brand into online sports news and information. Programming includes several daily editions of Tg Sport. The cited schedule identifies a 9:00 daily edition with a press review and touchscreen presentation, an afternoon edition at 14:30 from Monday to Saturday, and a late-night edition at 23:30 from Monday to Friday. This schedule illustrates the channel's dual function: it is both an outlet for sports-event programming and a recurring sports-news service. The available reference material does not provide reliable details about current management, budgets, audience figures, broadcasting-rights expenditures, or a separate legal entity for Rai Sport.
- 2017
Rai Sport 2 closes
[1]The Rai Sport 2 sister channel closes on 5 February.
- 2015
Rai Sport + HD launches
[1]Rai Sport + HD launches on 14 September, reviving the earlier Rai Sport + identity.
- 2010
Rai Sport 2 launches
[1]RAI introduces Rai Sport 2 as a sister sports channel on 18 May.
- 2009
Rai Sport + branding is used
[1]The Rai Sport + identity is used during the 2009–2010 period.
- 1999
Rai Sport launches
[1]RAI launches Rai Sport as a dedicated Italian sports television channel.
Products and positioning
A dedicated national sports outlet within Italy's public-service RAI broadcasting system, combining sports-event coverage with recurring sports news and analysis.
Sports television channel · 1999
Rai Sport
The core Rai Sport channel is RAI's dedicated Italian sports television service. It carries Italian and international sporting events alongside sports journalism, analysis, and recurring news programming. Its distribution has included digital terrestrial television in Italy and Sky Italia, with high-definition availability associated with the Rai Sport HD identity.
Sports television channel · 2010
Rai Sport 2
Rai Sport 2 was a sister channel created to expand RAI's sports programming capacity. It operated alongside Rai Sport for several years and provided an additional outlet for sports coverage. The channel was closed on 5 February 2017 and is no longer an active Rai Sport offering.
High-definition sports television service · 2015
Rai Sport + HD
Rai Sport + HD was introduced as a high-definition Rai Sport service and as a revival of the Rai Sport + brand previously used from 2009 to 2010. It represents a technical and brand extension of RAI's dedicated sports offering rather than a separate corporate business.
Sports news program
Tg Sport
Tg Sport is Rai Sport's recurring sports-news format. The cited schedule includes a morning edition every day, an afternoon edition from Monday through Saturday, and a late-night edition from Monday through Friday. The morning broadcast includes a press review and touchscreen-based presentation.
Brand decisions
2017
Closure of Rai Sport 2StrategyBackground
RAI revised its sports-channel structure after operating Rai Sport 2 as a sister service.
Action taken
Rai Sport 2 was closed on 5 February 2017.
Aftermath
The Rai Sport brand continued without the second channel.
2015
Launch of Rai Sport + HDProduct launchBackground
RAI refreshed the technical and brand presentation of its sports service while reviving the Rai Sport + identity.
Action taken
Rai Sport + HD launched on 14 September 2015.
Aftermath
The service continued the Rai Sport brand's high-definition and dedicated-sports positioning.
2010
Expansion through Rai Sport 2Product launchBackground
RAI sought to broaden its dedicated sports-channel presence by adding a sister service to Rai Sport.
Action taken
Rai Sport 2 launched on 18 May 2010.
Aftermath
The additional channel later ceased operations on 5 February 2017.
Sources2 sources
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