Italian men’s soccer’s top-tier Serie A is exploring possible alternatives to telecommunications giant TIM as a title sponsor for the next commercial cycle, which starts in 2024-25, it has been reported.
Citing sources close to the matter, news outlet Reuters said the 20-team league is looking to strike a more lucrative deal than its current one with TIM, which has run since 2021 in its current format but which comes to an end after the ongoing 2023-24 campaign.
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The current tie-up sees TIM pay Serie A in the region of €20 million ($21.7 million) for title sponsorship rights, but Reuters is now reporting that the telecoms firm has so far not shown any interest in increasing that fee.
Energy group Eni is one of the firms involved in title sponsorship discussions with the league, it has been claimed.
TIM has been the league's title partner since 1998, and Serie A club representatives are now expected to discuss options for next season at an upcoming meeting.
Talks are ongoing, GlobalData (Sportcal) understands, with no decision likely to be made public yet. It is understood that the league is not definitely committing itself to a new partner, but is instead evaluating all possible options.
In terms of the other major men’s European soccer leagues, Spain’s LaLiga changed their title partner at the start of this season, switching from Banco Santander to the EA Sports brand of Electronic Arts.
TIM, meanwhile, was also previously the title sponsor of the Serie A Femminile women's competition, only for eBay to snap up those rights in July.
