Milan, Italy / Zug, Switzerland, April 2, 2021 – Italy’s Lega Serie A has appointed Infront to manage its international media rights for all platforms across Europe, Asia, Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa and Americas (excl. USA) for the next three seasons from 2021/22 to 2023/24. The Lega Assembly ratified Infront’s proposal for the commercialisation of the league’s worldwide media rights inventory through a unanimous vote.
Infront has a strong and in-depth knowledge of Serie A and has provided a comprehensive and innovative plan to strengthen Serie A’s position globally and establish a legacy beyond 2024. The winning bid is based on amplifying Serie A’s exposure in new markets, creating improved relationships with content partners, increasing Serie A's global sponsorship value and boosting the international brand appeal of the league and its participating clubs.
Bruno Marty, Senior Vice President Infront, said: “We have a well-established partnership with Lega Serie A and have always believed in the strong potential the league has globally. This new phase in our collaboration will allow Infront to once again highlight its expertise and in-depth knowledge of the football industry both in content creation and exposure. With this agreement we increase the attractiveness and diversification of our media rights portfolio.”
Andreas Kaeshammer, Infront Head of Football, said: “This significant win confirms our leading position in the football market. It is also a signal of intent from one the world’s most recognised leagues that they wish to work with a leader in the industry. Serie A’s stern belief that we have the capabilities and network to take its product to new global heights reflects our continued delivery of positive results for our football partners around the world.”
Infront will support Lega with its dedicated global media sales operations team. Thanks to its established network of media distribution experts, Infront will enable Lega to broaden the relationship with regional and national partners, accelerating the process of the league's internationalisation.
Representing a variety of significant football properties, Infront is a top player in the sport. It offers comprehensive support at all levels – internationally, nationally and in league and club football. The company has an established partnership with FIFA including the distribution of the FIFA World Cup Asian media rights. It also has more than a decade-long history of successfully working with Lega Serie A and Lega Serie B as its media rights advisor and media production service provider, managing its archive containing over 60 years of Italian football. It has through HBS a collaboration with Ligue de Football Professionnel in France as the host broadcast advisor. Infront also manages sub-Saharan Africa media rights for the English Premier League and global media rights for the Scottish Professional Football League. In total, lnfront represents over 40 major football properties, including major national associations and more than 25 clubs.