News Corp launches Italian DTT channel

News Corp is to launch a free-to-air digital channel in Italy. Cielo, Italian for Sky, will launch next month.

It will operate separately from News Corp-owned pay-TV operator Sky Italia, with News Corporation Stations Europe, which operates free TV in Bulgaria, Serbia and Turkey, running programming. Cielo will offer Italian dramas and reality TV shows along with Hollywood movies and dramas.

The channel will go up against commercial broadcaster Mediaset and public broadcaster Rai in an attempt to lure viewers that don’t subscribe to Sky Italia.