Serie A scores Minute Media content partnership to grow North American fanbase

• Minute Media tasked with increasing Serie A viewership and digital engagement across its sports content brands in North America

Serie A has struck a partnership with Minute Media to promote Italian soccer’s top flight across the content house’s brands in North America.

Minute Media, whose outlets include 90min and The Players’ Tribune, will work with Serie A to bring fans content aiming to provide a comprehensive view of the league. It also sees Minute Media add another top-tier European soccer league to its roster, having penned a deal with Germany’s Bundesliga last July.

“Minute Media is in the unique position of being able to provide a 360-degree view of the game,” Minute Media chief marketing officer Andres Cardenas told SportsPro. “So not only will we be reporting on the games, results and players themselves, but we are able to also offer fans the athlete perspective that they won’t get anywhere else.

“Serie A has such a rich and exciting history beyond just football. It’s a country which so many have a unique love story with, attracting a wider audience than what is typical. Being able to share that part of the league with fans in North America will be a new way to connect with fans, new and old, here in the US.”

“We are very confident that the more people are exposed to the league, the bigger the fanbase we’ll have in the US, and a partner like Minute Media and a platform like 90min gives us the opportunity to scale awareness and engagement, which will result in a growing audience,” added Andy Mitchell, chief executive and managing director of Lega Serie A USA.

The agreement will see the 90min website add a Serie A-specific vertical, which will capture pre-match content and have information on where US audiences can watch games. 90min will also produce rankings about Serie A, with focus on US, Canadian and Latin American players to cater to a North American audience. US national team players Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Timothy Weah and Weston McKennie all ply their trade in Serie A.

Minute Media also plans to utilise licensee content for use on its properties to help bring fans unique and unfiltered content.

As well as having top American players on its books, Serie A has proved a popular destination for US investors, who now own the likes of AC Milan, Atalanta, Genoa and Roma. Mitchell believes North American ownership highlights the growth prospects of the league in the States.

“Having more American owners is a great benefit for our work in the US for Serie A,” he explained.

“First, having Americans invest demonstrates the growth potential for the league. There is a lot of upside potential for Serie A clubs, as well as Serie B and Serie C clubs that see themselves on a trajectory for the first division. Having more Americans thinking about European football is indicative of the overall awareness and interest in European football and Serie A specifically.

“Lastly, all of these American owners are successful businesspeople and see the value of the league, which says a lot about the commercial potential in this market as well.”

Mitchell also said that the Minute Media tie-up was just one part of Serie A’s wider brand-building work in the region. Recent efforts include the launch of North American-specific distribution channels, such as an Instagram handle that features personalised content for fans, and a weekly email newsletter that showcases standout moments from the league. Watch parties have also been rolled out and new activations will be piloted.

“We’re also trying to be a good community member partnering with Street Soccer USA to support kids in the Bronx, both on the pitch as well as off, by developing a media studies curriculum,” added Mitchell. “In November 2023, we hosted a community event for kids at the Pulisic Stomping Ground in southern Florida and in collaboration with our partner Puma.”

Soccer has already made great commercial strides in the US in recent years, further aided by the arrival of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami. However, Cardenas is adamant there is room for further growth ahead of the country co-hosting the 2026 Fifa World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico. He said Serie A was in a strong position to capitalise given its roster of US athletes and heritage.

“For the global leagues, we have seen an increase in content cross-pollination for the US market,” said Cardenas. “Around the world, football is the number one sport, but here in the States, there is so much untapped fan potential when it comes to the growth of the game.

“With a league like Serie A – which is rich in both culture and history and holds some of the strongest US players on teams like AC Milan and Juventus – the proposition is especially attractive because US fans have more incentive to get behind the teams that crossover with the [United States men’s national soccer team].”