How Italian football want to conquer the US market

With a population of more than 330 million people, unmatched cultural influence, and sublime economic power, the United States are without a doubt the world’s premier sports market. When you look at the revenue that the “Big Four” American Leagues generate - $19 billion for the NFL, MLB at $10.8 billion, NBA with $10 billion, and $5.7 billion for the NHL - it is easy to see why the US is seen as such a great commercial opportunity and break this “Big Four” hegemony is a big goal for many overseas sports leagues. 

Take Formula 1 as an example. After handing over its promotion to Liberty Media in 2017, the league sold broadcasting rights to ESPN and ABC, differentiating themselves from others with commercial-free content. Although very unusual for the US, this was highly appreciated by fans, and the past 5 years have seen American F1 viewership increase by 148%, while the market cap went up from $4.4 billion in 2016 to $17.3 billion in 2023. It is safe to say that this experiment worked, and F1 has even added a third US Grand Prix for this season in Las Vegas. 

The many attempts of bringing football to the US, on the other hand, have ultimately resulted in a market unsurprisingly dominated by the English-speaking Premier League, the local MLS, and the Hispanic population-backed Liga MX. However, with globalization on the rise, a truly international, foreign league could come in and upset this power balance: Serie A.

Red and black initiatives in New York

Serie A has never enjoyed real popularity in the US. Aside from football’s lower-end status, the league is not culturally or linguistically apt to appeal to an American audience. But recent events point towards a different trend: Serie A is starting to take its brand awareness in the US very seriously, and a lot of it involves AC Milan.

AC Milan is a well-respected, established club, boasting millions of supporters all throughout the world. This global reach is heavily tied to the Rossoneri’s old glory days, but it now seems that expanding on that has become a big priority for the club. Despite having been owned by the American investment fund Elliott Management Corporation for four years between 2018 and 2022, AC Milan’s “Americanization” has truly surfaced only after RedBird Capital Partners and Gerry Cardinale took over at the beginning of last season.

This past September, for example, the club entered a partnership with the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (also known as YES Network), giving Milan the possibility to share highlights, interviews, and full games in America’s #1 TV market, New York City. This allows the team to establish a very solid presence in the city, which is especially advantageous considering the 2.5+ million Italian-Americans living in the NYC Metro Area. Milan can exploit this, and one way of doing so is giving these residents the opportunity to purchase AC Milan merchandise within the city, something that they can do at Yankee Stadium as part of the aforementioned partnership.

The Pulisic effect

But most Americans, Italian or not, would need a reason to buy Milan merchandise. Rafael Leão and Theo Hernández may be some of the most electric players in Europe right now, yet their names mean a lot less in the US, and this is partly why AC Milan has been pushing for American players over the past year. Sergiño Dest was a bust in every way imaginable, but Christian Pulisic, on the other hand, is already producing incredible results. In all social media posts related to his arrival, AC Milan received a total of 46 million impressions and 17 million views, while the team store saw a 266% increase in sales and the quantity of products sold to American customers increased from 9% to 43%. But here is the shocker: 90% of Pulisic jerseys sold were shipped off to the States.

These recent efforts essentially laid the groundwork for the upcoming Soccer Champions Tour in the US, the perfect way to test AC Milan’s American appeal. Partaking in this friendly tournament is all part of the team’s plan to slowly take over US crowds and get a bigger seat at the table in the desirable American sports market. Interest in Yunus Musah - another key player for the USMNT - and a collaboration with New Era should also keep elevating Milan’s image in the eyes of US sports fans.

Venezia FC and fashion

The Rossoneri, however, are not the only Italian team with close ties to the United States. Venezia, for example, has also had a few players transfer over from the States, namely Gianluca Busio and Tanner Tessmann. American ownership under Duncan Niederauer has heavily contributed to the reinvention of the club into a fashion icon within the sports world, propelling it into global fame and recognition for their spectacular kits. This movement that started with New York lawyer Joe Tacopina all the way back 2015 has made Venezia an unlikely popular club even in the US, resulting in the third-highest following in Serie B (behind two huge clubs like Sampdoria and Parma), despite recent subpar performances.

Many other clubs in Italy have American owners, including Fiorentina, Parma, Genoa, Roma, SPAL, and Spezia, although their involvement with the American sports market and audiences is a lot less pronounced than Milan’s or Venezia’s. Serie A itself has been making its presence felt in the US, opening a New York City office in 2021 and an Instagram page to specifically target a North-American audience.

Italian football is serious about establishing itself in the US, reversing the negative trend that has characterised recent years. AC Milan and Serie A seem to be the most aggressive attempts so far, but many others could follow. In terms of football audiences, the US is facing a big growth movement, thanks in part to Lionel Messi's arrival in MLS and the preparations for the 2026 World Cup. The strong presence of US ownership in Italian teams could grant a competitive advantage that, if exploited correctly, could help our football gain a new, crucial, slice of international audience.