Serie A looking for big increase in international rights, which could put CBS in a tough spot

A 12 months and a half in the past, CBS Sports activities secured the rights to Italy’s Serie A on a three-season deal price round $75 million per 12 months.

But when CBS needs to retain these rights following the 2023-24 season, it may cost a little them much more.

Reuters studies that Serie A is searching for an enormous enhance in worldwide rights charges, and can look to double these funds by 2027 and triple them by 2030.

Serie A secured solely round 670 million euros ($657 million) from the sale of abroad TV rights within the 2021-2024 interval, a ninth of the sum earned overseas by England’s Premier League, the world’s most profitable home soccer competitors.

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Underneath a situation drafted by Serie A Chief Government Luigi De Siervo, the league sees worldwide broadcasting income doubtlessly rising to some 1.1 billion euros within the 2024-2027 cycle, to succeed in about 1.9 billion euros within the 2027-2030 interval.

In the event that they’re in a position to succeed, that might imply an American rightsholder may count on to pay round $150 million per 12 months within the subsequent cycle, rising to $225 million within the cycle after that.

This may be a tough promote for CBS. The corporate’s cope with the Huge Ten begins in 2023, they usually’re paying round $350 million a season for these rights. CBS additionally retained the rights to the UEFA Champions League for the following two cycles, greater than doubling its present rights price to a reported $250 million per season. With an additional $400 million per 12 months in commitments (for the Champions League, and the Huge Ten when in comparison with the SEC’s present $55 million per 12 months), would CBS actually be prepared to fork out an additional $75 million to Serie A?

If not, you’d think about ESPN (the rightsholder previous to CBS) would at the very least be fascinated by speaking with Serie A in regards to the rights, and NBC would in all probability be eager as effectively. Maybe even Warner Bros. Discovery (Turner was publicly linked to the Serie A rights a number of years in the past earlier than a sequence of mergers), which inked an eight-year cope with US Soccer earlier this 12 months, or Apple, which locked in a decade-long cope with MLS, may very well be gamers.

I’m curious how a lot American broadcasters will worth Serie A going ahead. The league’s rights have bounced from beIN Sports activities to ESPN+ and now to CBS Sports activities, although the rights charges paid by beIN and ESPN have been by no means reported. Whereas the search for extra income is comprehensible, Serie A switching US media companions for the third straight cycle may increase some eyebrows going ahead.

[Reuters]