Italian soccer’s top-tier Serie A has filled in another piece of its broadcast rights jigsaw puzzle for the next cycle by confirming Saran Media as its partner across 15 Eastern European and Central Asian countries, in a significant extension.
The specifics of the deal involve Saran holding rights in Turkey and Ukraine between 2024-25 and 2026-27, and in another 13 markets (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) from 2024-25 through 2028-29.
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During the last cycle – running between 2021-22 and 2023-24 – Saran held rights in all countries listed above, as well as in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. That tie-up was estimated by GlobalData Sport as being worth $11.55 million overall.
The agreement entails Saran holding exclusive rights to live games, highlights, delayed action, and clips, and covers all platforms – TV, mobile, and online.
Aside from Serie A, it also stretches to the knockout Coppa Italia, and the Italian Supercup mini competition, each year.
From the aforementioned countries, Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia) is considered one of the top Serie A players currently.
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By GlobalDataThis deal comes as Serie A scrambles to complete its international broadcast partner portfolio before the 2024-25 season gets underway on Friday, with Genoa taking on champions Inter Milan in the opener.
The league’s international rights tenders have been taking place since mid-2023, with the league having substantially changed its method for selling media rights across the next cycle.
Previously, the vast majority of rights were held by the Infront agency. Now, the league is carrying out a sizeable proportion of negotiations, in various markets, directly with broadcasters (although Infront is distributing rights across Asia-Pacific).
Over the last few weeks, deals have been unveiled in the UK (TNT Sports), US (CBS), Spain (DAZN), and Russia (Match TV).
During the last cycle, the Italian league reportedly brought in just over $650 million across the three seasons from overseas broadcast rights.
Domestically, the league will be covered by DAZN and pay-TV’s Sky Italia for the next five seasons.
Saran, meanwhile, has over the last few months announced major deals with soccer bodies including France’s LFP, England’s Premier League and Football Association, and Europe’s UEFA.
