Starting in the 2021/22 campaign, there will be some big changes for Italian football fans based in the United States.
Not only will there be three new teams featuring in Serie A, but the broadcaster will also be different. Since the 2018/2019 season, ESPN, and its streaming service, ESPN+ have provided coverage of both Serie A and the Coppa Italia week in, week out.
But now, that's set to change. Although ESPN again threw their hat in the ring, they were beaten to the punch by rivals CBS, and now they'll be the lucky ones tasked with carrying matches from all across Italy for the next three years.
As per reports, CBS will pay about €64 million (or $75.8 million) per year, or a bit under €200 million ($236.7 million) from the 2021/22 to 2024/25 campaigns.
From the LNPA's (Lega Serie A) perspective, this deal also represents quite a bit of a windfall as their CEO, Luigi De Siervo, argued that the nearly €200 million three year deal is a 30 per cent increase in the value of their broadcasting rights from the past three years.
As he noted, "[It's] the beginning of a path of investment in human resources and editorial content [that] support[s] the constant growth of Serie A throughout North America. This result is the fruit of the work of the last 18 months and the ever-increasing number of American properties that have decided to invest in our franchises".
However, despite this positive news from the United States, Serie A's broadcast contracts aren't set to experience an uptick in value all over the world.
One area that a downturn is anticipated is in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) due to an uneasy relationship with their local broadcaster, beIN Sports. Serie A currently has a three-year deal worth $500 million with the broadcasting giants.
Italy's football flight is currently on hiatus, but is set to resume action next month.
