'Nine American owners & one Canadian' - Serie A outlines 'first in Europe' aim of staging matches in USA as record-breaking surge in TV viewing figures is revealed

Serie A president Ezio Simonelli, who took over from Lorenzo Casini in December, has confirmed that the league is actively working on a project to bring Serie A games to the United States, with the aim of helping the Italian top-flight become the first European league to host its match on American soil.

Soccer has grown exponentially in the USA in recent years and Serie A want to capitalize on the opportunity to generate global exposure, as well as the commercial benefits that would go hand-in-hand with staging games in the States. Pre-season friendlies involving a number of Europe's top clubs have been commonplace in America, and there has often been talk that the Premier League, and more recently La Liga, would push to try to have competitive fixtures take place in the U.S., with those at the top of Italian soccer also wanting to break new ground.

As many as nine teams in Serie A are American-owned, while Canadian businessman Joey Saputo owns Bologna. Several USMNT stars such as Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Tim Weah, and Weston McKennie call Serie A their home, too.

As per a report from Football Italia, Serie A was broadcast for over 1,000 hours in the USA in the first half of the 2024-25 season, of which over 60 per cent was dedicated to live coverage. It's a huge leap when compared to the previous campaign, with there having been a 50% increase in live audience figures.

At an event in New York, Simonelli spoke in excitement about the prospect of hosting Serie A games in the USA. "I was elected two months ago and it’s no coincidence that I chose to come here to the USA for a meeting with the local representatives," the Serie A president said, as reported via La Gazzetta dello Sport. 

"This is a market on which we count a lot, we have nine American owners and one Canadian, to whom I owe a lot given that they elected me, so it’s normal that we want to focus on this area. 

“The product is beautiful, and not only are we the league with the most American owners, but there are also potential buyers window shopping, so it means that certain groups believe in the possibility of making money in Italy.

"It's definitely a stimulating challenge. We, at the league, of course have to take note of the fact that another event could clog an already congested calendar. We will have to find the right balance with the needs of the national league, but the Club World Cup will definitely be a fascinating event.

"For us, this project is definitely a goal. We will need the approval of the local federation for such an event to happen, but we believe in it and we want to be the first in Europe to do it."

It remains to be seen if the plans will be put into action and matches will eventually be staged in the USA but Simonelli's comments are a clear signal of intent. As for matters on the pitch in the 2024-25 season, Inter currently lead Napoli at the top of the Serie A table by just a single point, with Simone Inzaghi's side facing Monza on March 8.