Italy: Serie A explores new opportunities in France

Rome: As the Italian football league continues its international expansion, it is looking to establish a presence in the French market, where it is currently negotiating the broadcasting rights for Serie A matches.

Serie A, known as Calcio in the Mediterranean country, is in talks to bring the competition to French audiences who have been unable to follow the league since BeIn Sports’ broadcasting rights expired.

Serie A is the top flight of Italian football and has been an independent league since 2010, alongside the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa. Previously, the current top flight was run jointly with Serie B under the Lega Calcio, a club association founded in 1946.

This interest from the French media has attracted the attention of L’Équipe, which could become the broadcaster of the Italian league, according to sources close to the negotiations.

As part of the ongoing rights discussions, one of the main proposals is to broadcast just one match per round. However, L’Équipe is said to be interested in expanding the coverage to include more high-profile matches featuring internationally renowned clubs such as Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan.

British company Dazn has also shown interest in the rights battle, although it has yet to make a formal offer. Against this backdrop, Serie A clubs will meet on 30 September to discuss not only the sale of the rights in France, but also other important issues relating to the future of the league, such as the reform of the FIGC (Italian Football Federation) statutes.

It’s worth noting that Ligue 1, France’s premier football league, is currently without a broadcasting partner in Italy, having gone through several platforms in recent rights cycles, including Mediaset Premium, Dazn and Sky.

While it awaits expansion into its neighbouring country, Serie A has already secured its presence in other international markets. In August this year, it reached an agreement with OneFootball to broadcast matches in the UK and Ireland. The league also renewed its contract with CBS Sports in the United States, securing its presence in one of the most competitive markets in the world.

With the global expansion of its broadcasting rights, Serie A continues to strengthen its brand and reach more fans outside of Italy, consolidating its position in world football and creating new business opportunities in different regions.