Nordics: High viewer interest in unclaimed Serie A rights
August 16, 2024

Despite the the new Serie A season kicking off this weekend, the TV and streaming rights for the Italian football league remain unsold – at least officially – across all Nordic countries. Whoever picks up the right to distribute the Italian top league will have a solid fan base of around a million interested viewers in the Nordics, of which half come from Sweden, reports Mediavision.
“Even without Zlatan, Serie A continues to be highly popular in Sweden and the rest of the Nordics, ranking top among European and domestic football leagues” commented 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 added.
However, as things stand, it remains uncertain whether fans will be able to watch the season premier on August 17th. The current situation is primarily explained by high costs associated with sports rights, at a time when parts of the TV and streaming market are under financial pressure, according to Grande. Despite ongoing discussions about the rights, it is clear that Serie A generates a substantial interest across the Nordic region.
Grande notes that there is alsouncertainty regarding Serie A rights in markets outside the Nordics as well. For example, the English (WBD-owned) TNT Sports has secured the rights to broadcast only a selection of matches, but not all, in the UK and Ireland.