With DAZN now set to broadcast eight out of nine Ligue 1 matches in France, the TV rights landscape in Europe has taken shape. A comparison shows that the Serie A continues to be the most affordable league for viewers, costing significantly less than other major European leagues. Fans in England, Spain, Germany, and France often pay double or even triple the amount to watch their favorite teams live, despite the ongoing issue of piracy that impacts revenues for clubs, leagues, federations, broadcasters, and ultimately, the fans themselves.
For the 2024-25 season, viewers can subscribe to all Serie A matches on DAZN for a monthly rate ranging from €29.91 to €34.99, depending on the chosen plan (either an Annual Standard with upfront payment or a 12-month Contracting Standard). This pricing is consistent with previous years, where subscriptions were also around €29.99 in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, DAZN introduced the Annual Pass, allowing subscribers to enjoy a lower rate of under €25 per month with the Standard option.
Italian fans pay between €0.99 and €1.16 per day to watch ten matches per matchday, along with other sports like basketball and volleyball. In contrast, costs soar in other countries—over €100 per month in Spain, €92 for the Premier League (which is not fully broadcast), €65 in Germany, and €45 in France and Greece. This means Italian viewers spend between €15 and €70 less each month compared to viewers in other top European leagues. Notably, Italy is the only country where fans can watch an entire football season on a single platform (DAZN) until 2029. In Spain, fans require subscriptions to both Movistar and DAZN, while viewers in England often need to subscribe to up to three services, including TNT, Amazon Prime Video, and Sky.
The financial stability of Italian football heavily relies on TV rights income, and piracy continues to pose a significant threat, costing the industry about one million euros in revenue daily. According to the Fapav/Ipsos Observatory, this issue has been growing since 2021. As part of the fight against piracy, the Lega Serie A has launched the Piracy Shield platform, which blocks illegal streaming within thirty minutes and has disabled nearly 18,000 URLs and accounts. A more advanced version of this platform is expected by the end of 2024, which should further enhance the fight against piracy. Nevertheless, television revenues remain crucial for financial sustainability, and without substantial changes, it is unlikely that Italian football will become cheaper anytime soon, despite the ongoing efforts from broadcasters.