Report: Serie A turns to JP Morgan for overseas media rights advice

Italian men's soccer's top-tier Serie A has brought in international bank JP Morgan as an advisor for its international expansion and growth, according to reports.

JP Morgan and the 20-team Serie A will initially work together on negotiating international media rights deals, according to the Milano Finanza Italian publication.

Serie A, alongside a variety of European soccer's other top leagues (excluding England's Premier League), is currently battling to retain its share of broadcasters' fees and keep its head above water financially.

The aim is ultimately for Serie A to be able to make up some of the ground it has lost to the Premier League, and also to Spain's LaLiga, in terms of overseas media rights income.

It has been reported that the initial target is for Serie A to stabilise its overseas media rights revenues at the current levels of between €240 million ($281.6 million) and €250 million each year.

This report comes in the context of Serie A looking to stage a match between heavyweights AC Milan, and Como, overseas early next year, in order to promote itself globally.

In mid-July, Italy’s FIGC governing body approved a request for heavyweights AC Milan to play their home match against Como in Perth, Australia, given the fixture – part of the top-tier Serie A 2025-26 season – clashes with Northern Italy staging the 2026 Winter Olympics, and specifically Milan’s San Siro stadium hosting the opening ceremony on the same weekend (February 6).

In terms of other European leagues going down a similar route, meanwhile, Spanish clubs Villareal and heavyweights Barcelona have since proposed staging a regular-season LaLiga match in the American city of Miami in December, a proposal which Spanish soccer's RFEF has approved.

While the move has now been greenlit by the FIGC, it is still far from confirmed. The relocation still requires approval from several other soccer governing bodies, including Football Australia and world governing body FIFA, as well as continental governing bodies UEFA (Europe) and the AFC (Asia).

Most prominently in terms of its APAC presence, Serie A was shown live in Australia last season by international sports broadcaster BeIN.

It will not be the first time Italian top-tier men's soccer has staged official matches overseas, having secured a lucrative contract with Saudi Arabia to host its Supercoppa Italiana, the annual clash between winners of Serie A and Coppa Italia domestic cup competition, in the kingdom’s capital, Riyadh, for the last three seasons.

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