The Italian Serie A football league remains one of the most popular international sports leagues among Nordic consumers, with more than a million expressing interest in viewing the league. Interest is especially high in Sweden, where Serie A is on par with some of the most popular sports such as Formula 1.

Despite the league’s kickoff being just days away, the TV and streaming rights for Serie A remain unsold – at least officially – across all Nordic countries. Whoever picks up the right to distribute the Italian top league will have a solid fan base of close to a million interested viewers in the Nordics, of which half come from Sweden.

“Even without Zlatan, Serie A continues to be highly popular in Sweden and the rest of the Nordics, ranking in top among European and domestic football leagues” says Adrian Grande, Senior Analyst at Mediavision.

Grande notes that while rising prices have led some fans to reconsider, the core base of paying customers remains stable. Mediavision’s yearly sports analysis also highlights a significant overlap in interest between Serie A and other top football leagues.

“A vast majority of Serie A enthusiasts are also interested in the Premier League, Champions League and La Liga, making these leagues highly complementary in terms of viewer engagement,” Grande adds.

However, as things stand, it remains uncertain whether fans will be able to watch the season premier on Saturday, August 17^th.

The current situation is primarily explained by high costs associated with sports rights, at a time when parts of the TV and streaming market are under financial pressure, according to Grande. Despite ongoing discussions about the rights, it is clear that Serie A generates a substantial interest across the Nordic region.

It should also be noted, Grande points out, that there is uncertainty regarding Serie A rights in markets outside the Nordics as well. For example, the English (WBD-owned) TNT has secured the rights to broadcast only a selection of matches, but not all, in the UK and Ireland.