Italian soccer's top-tier Serie A has finally resolved its US broadcast rights situation by extending its partnership with CBS Sports. This deal covers the 2024-25 and 2025-26 campaigns, as well as knockout Coppa Italia matches.
The agreement ensures that CBS Sports will have exclusive rights to broadcast Serie A matches in the United States for the next two seasons. The first match covered under this new deal will be between Genoa and last season’s champions, Inter Milan, on August 17th.
The Paramount+ streaming service, owned by Paramount alongside CBS, will cover all 380 Serie A matches per season. Additionally, it will broadcast at least 25 games annually from the Coppa Italia and all action from the Supercoppa Italiana annual fixture each year. Select matches will also air on the CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network.
Long-standing relationship with CBS
This extension continues a partnership that began in the 2021-22 season when both parties struck a three-season deal reported to be worth $227.1 million in total by GlobalData Sport. Prior to this agreement, ESPN held broadcasting rights for Serie A matches.
This extension is particularly significant given that several stars from the US national team play in Italy's top league - including Christian Pulisic at AC Milan and Timothy Weah and Weston McKennie at Juventus - making it an attractive proposition for American sports fans.
CBS has been active recently in securing European soccer deals; just days ago they secured multi-platform rights to English Football League (EFL) through till 2027-28 season. Under this arrangement with EFL (the organizer of England’s second, third, and fourth tiers), CBS is set to broadcast a minimum of 250 EFL matches per season across the Championship, League One, League Two, Carabao Cup, and Bristol Street Motors Trophy.
CBS Sports' growing football portfolio
CBS Sports' soccer portfolio is extensive. It includes Europe's UEFA Champions League matches, Europa League, Conference League and Youth League; NWSL; the United Soccer League; Concacaf national team competitions; Argentina’s Liga Profesional de Fútbol; the Scottish Professional Football League and AFC Champions League.
Serie A has been conducting international rights tenders since mid-2023. The league has substantially changed its method for selling media rights across this cycle. Previously held by Infront agency in majority, now a sizeable proportion of negotiations are being carried out directly with broadcasters in various markets (although Infront is distributing rights across Asia-Pacific). This process is being led by Anna Guarnerio who joined the league in a senior media rights role after spending 25 years at Infront Italy.
In June 2021 a three-year deal was struck with global sports streaming service DAZN for coverage across Germany, Austria and Switzerland (DACH countries). Domestically Serie A will be covered by DAZN and pay-TV’s Sky Italia for next five seasons. As we approach less than a month to go before the start of new season deals are yet to be signed off in markets including UK, sub-Saharan Africa, and South America.
