The Italian Serie A football league remains one of the most popular international sports leagues among Nordic consumers, but with days to go before the new season, no broadcaster has come forward to buy the rights.
According to Stockholm-based consultancy Mediavision, more than a million viewers have expressed an interest in viewing the league. Interest is especially high in Sweden, where Serie A is on par with some of the most popular sports such as Formula 1.
“Even without Zlatan, Serie A continues to be highly popular in Sweden and the rest of the Nordics, ranking in top among European and domestic football leagues” says Adrian Grande, Senior Analyst at Mediavision.
Grande notes that while rising prices have led some fans to reconsider, the core base of paying customers remains stable. Mediavision’s yearly sports analysis also highlights a significant overlap in interest between Serie A and other top football leagues.
“A vast majority of Serie A enthusiasts are also interested in the Premier League, Champions League and La Liga, making these leagues highly complementary in terms of viewer engagement,” Grande adds.
The situation is explained in part by the high costs associated with sports rights at a time when the TV and streaming market is under financial pressure.
Grande points out, that there is uncertainty regarding Serie A rights in markets outside the Nordics as well. For example, WBD’s TNT has secured the rights to broadcast only a portion of matches, but not all, in the UK and Ireland.
