Serie A CEO throws shade at Premier League and LaLiga

Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo claims that the broadcasting figures for recent Italian games are boosted by the presence of parity in the league.

“The excellent television ratings of last weekend reflect the great interest in our league, where at the start of this season, there is a balance in the standings that allows all fans to dream,” said De Siervo.

“If I look at the Premier League, La Liga, and the Bundesliga, the usual names are already in the lead, who have been winning the title for years. Here [in Italy], three teams are leading the standings that were not in the top eight last season.

“This is the strength of Serie A compared to the others, we are the most tactical and hard-fought tournament of all and the public appreciates this uncertainty of results, filling the stadiums and following the matches on TV.”

Manchester City, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich all lead these particular other leagues. Pep Guardiola’s team has dominated the English top flight in recent years by winning four consecutive titles.

Bayern also previously collected 11 straight German championships before losing out to Bayer Leverkusen last season. Barca, on the other hand, has finished either first or second in LaLiga every season but once since 2008.

Juve’s previous decline has helped increase interest in Serie A

While other top European leagues have been ruled by the same clubs in recent years, Serie A has been different. For instance, four different Italian teams have collected the Scudetto in the last five years.

Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan, and Napoli have all won a Serie A trophy since 2020. Inter has been the only club to triumph in the Italian league twice during this timeframe. Underdogs Torino also currently leads the table in the early stages of the 2024/25 campaign.

Parity in Italy, however, was not always in place in recent memory. Juve previously dominated Serie A between 2011 and 2020. In fact, the Old Lady collected every Italian top-flight title in this stretch. Nevertheless, Juve’s subsequent decline has undoubtedly boosted interest in the league. This is particularly the case with foreign fans.

Serie A experiencing a boost in TV viewing viewership

Serie A broadcasters are experiencing a boost in television ratings so far this season. Inside the country, DAZN and Sky Italia both share broadcasting duties for the Italian top flight. DAZN handles a majority of the matches, but Sky also has the opportunity to air three Serie A games each week.

Recently released figures claim that DAZN reached nearly six million viewers across the 10 matches last weekend. Two million of these users watched Inter Milan face rivals AC Milan on Sunday. American star Christian Pulisic led AC Milan to a 2-1 victory on the night.

Round five of the 2024/25 Serie A season was also highlighted by an intense matchup between Juventus and Napoli. The much-anticipated game, however, ultimately ended in a scoreless stalemate. Nevertheless, both popular clubs are currently in the top four of the standings.

Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo has applauded the recent ratings. “The overall figure of over seven million viewers on DAZN and Sky for the fifth round is in line with the best results of the past seasons,” proclaimed the exec.

Photo: IMAGO / LaPresse