CBS and Paramount+ will continue as the home of top-flight Italian soccer with a new rights deal for Serie A. On Friday, CBS announced the deal will extend for multiple years, but there is no indication as to how many years that will last. The previous media rights deal between Serie A and CBS lasted three years as it ran from 2021/22 until this most recent 2023/24 campaign. That deal pocketed Serie A $75.8 million per year.
For this recent rights cycle, much was made about Serie A’s intention to increase that revenue. The Italian top flight wanted $150 million annually, which is double what CBS was paying currently. Previous reports earlier in the summer showed that offers from the United States fell below Serie A’s desires. The $75.8 million per year that CBS was giving for the previous three-year deal was a fraction of the revenue the Premier League drew in for its international broadcast deal with NBC. Yet, Serie A could not hold off any longer, as the Serie A season starts in less than one month.
In signing a new broadcasting deal with CBS, Serie A extends a successful partnership with one of the biggest providers. CBS now has an argument to be the home of soccer in the United States for many of the most popular competitions. Extending its stay with CBS means the broadcaster has the rights to Serie A, UEFA club competitions like the Champions League, international fixtures involving American national teams and the English Football League. On Thursday, CBS announced a deal with the EFL. Games in the Championship, League One, League Two and Carabao Cup are now with CBS.
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Although Serie A is not getting as much as it wanted, it knows the level of success CBS brings. CBS’s variety of networks and platforms will stream over 400 matches in Italian soccer. That includes all 380 fixtures in Serie A play, each of the Supercoppa Italiana matches and at least 25 games in the Coppa Italia. The majority of these games will be available on Paramount+. Yet, CBS added that more games than ever will be available on traditional TV. That includes games airing on the CBS broadcast TV channel. Additionally, there will be matches on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network.
“CBS Sports platforms remain the home of Italy’s best clubs, biggest stars and world-class play, and we are pleased to renew our partnership with Serie A,” said Dan Weinberg, Executive Vice President, Programming, CBS Sports. “CBS Sports has helped to elevate the popularity of Serie A in the U.S. over the last three years and the increased distribution will continue to grow the American fanbase. With our expansive elite soccer rights, industry-leading live match presentation and popular 24/7 studio coverage across Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network, we are excited to continue to serve as the leading destination for European football fans.”
CBS added that live match and studio coverage details will come as we near the 2024/25 Serie A beginning. The American broadcaster has thrived in its coverage of competitions, and Serie A headlines that. Poppy Miller, Matteo Bonetti, Mike Grella and Marco Messina have not only provided excellent analysis. They keep coverage of Serie A entertaining to fit the mold of CBS’s other properties.
Further details about the length and cost of the deal will also become available in due course. What remains the most significant piece is that Serie A has a broadcast deal with a US provider. This ends a prolonged stalemate between Serie A and American broadcasters.
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