Serie A loses €300 million due to illegal streaming

Luigi De Siervo, Serie A CEO, reveals that illegal streaming has resulted in losses of around €300 million last year — this has seriously impacted Italian youth player development.

This issue becomes increasingly crucial as Italy — four-time world champions — has missed the last two World Cups and risks failing qualification again after losing to Norway.

“Many question why our national team is in this situation and why there is a lack of talent, one reason being the losses due to piracy,” states De Siervo.

Television broadcasting rights represent the main revenue source for Serie A clubs. Besides piracy, aging facilities also prevent clubs from achieving optimal revenue.

De Siervo warns — if revenue losses continue, Serie A risks falling behind the Premier League and La Liga, potentially dropping to the bottom position among Europe’s top five leagues alongside France’s Ligue 1.