How piracy is draining $345m a year from Italian football
Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo revealed that illegal streaming cost the Italian top-flight football league approximately $345.3 million in lost revenue last year, undermining media rights value and threatening future investment . He cautioned that this revenue drain hampers youth academies, infrastructure upgrades, and Italy’s ability to develop national talent—a contributing factor in the national team’s recent struggles . While piracy is a Europe-wide issue, he stressed that continued losses risk Serie A falling behind rival leagues like the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 . Industry voices—from broadcasters like Sky to LaLiga’s president—have blamed piracy on tech platforms and telcos for insufficient enforcement . If unaddressed, De Siervo warned, Italian football could be left at the “bottom of the table” of Europe’s elite leagues .
