Serie A continues to make inroads in North America, and the league’s most recent initiative — a strategic partnership with the National Italian-American Foundation — will look to keep that trend going.
Since opening the league’s North American headquarters in 2022, Serie A has made shockwaves throughout the domestic footballing community. With unique events and thoughtful partnerships, the league is building new roads into Italian football both in New York City and beyond.
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The recent “Serie A Day: The Fashion of Calcio” with Classic Football Shirts was an excellent showing in Miami, building off the momentum of the first edition in New York City last November. The fashion-show-meets-watch-party was a unique initiative, and one that demonstrated the commitment to support fans and foster the relationship between the country and the fans who support it. And things are only getting better.
Last week, the National Italian-American Foundation announced that it would be entering into a landmark partnership with Serie A that will focus on “strengthening cultural and sporting ties” between Italy and the United States.
As part of the regional partnership, NIAF will have rights to the Lega Serie A brand, TV exposure through advertising and LED visibility during North American broadcasts of the Coppa Italia Final and the Italian Super Cup, as well as the launch of a new digital format: Curva Americana, Presented by NIAF. This new content series will highlight Italian-American fans’ passion for Italian football and their cultural ties to Serie A clubs.
Urban Pitch caught up with Serie A USA’s CEO Andy Mitchell and NIAF president Robert Allegrini to discuss recent marquee events, what the future might look like for American fans of Italian football, and the impact of symbiotic partnerships.
Andy Mitchell, CEO and Managing Director, Serie A USA
Urban Pitch: Serie A has been taking initiatives to reach the North American community through activations such as the Calcio Fashion Show in New York City and Miami, as well as hosting special events for fans at the league’s headquarters — how has the response been from the community?
Andy Mitchell: My biggest learning in this job has been how engaged and passionate the calcio community is. It’s great to know that we have such a strong support network and people rooting for the league’s success in the U.S. market. They are willing to contribute in any way that they can to help us grow Serie A.
What are some plans the league has to keep fostering the Italian-American community, as well as reaching new supporters in North America?
For both the Italian-American community and the general American audience, Italian culture is our most valuable asset. It’s the most relevant differentiator from other football leagues. Food and travel stand out as the most relevant to calcio. There’s a great opportunity for us to showcase what’s special and unique in the areas of Italian culture and our plans continue to revolve around leveraging that as our key differentiator.
And piggy-backing on that last question, what do further plans look like for “selling Italy” to the American audiences?
We did some research and found that 51 million Americans have an affinity for Italian culture. The more we align with Italy, the better our chance of growing in the market. We are still in the planning stages, but for next season you’ll see some new initiatives launched that will take advantage of this differentiator and give both Italian-Americans and others in the market reasons to celebrate and participate in Italian culture.
Robert Allegrini, NIAF President
Urban Pitch: How did the relationship between NIAF and the league begin?
Robert Allegrini: The relationship between NIAF and the league began with an introduction last summer, during Lega Serie A’s initiatives to promote Italian calcio in Chicago — the city where I live.
What truly stood out to me was the spirit and energy of the people at the league. Together, we began thinking big to celebrate NIAF’s 50th anniversary. From there, it quickly became a real team effort that led to the announcement of this incredible partnership during our gala in New York — a partnership rooted in the shared values and deep ties between the Italian-American community and Italy.
And what better way to strengthen that bond than through calcio?
How does the NIAF plan to leverage the partnership with Serie A to promote Italian-American heritage and culture and strengthen that relationship between Italian-American fans and the Italian game?
The NIAF plans to leverage this partnership with Serie A as a powerful platform to celebrate and amplify Italian-American heritage through the universal language of calcio.
Together with Serie A, we’re launching a series of initiatives that highlight the deep cultural ties between Italy and the Italian-American community. One example is the creation of Curva Americana, presented by NIAF — a digital content series that showcases the passion of Italian-American fans and their unique connection to Serie A clubs.
We’re also bringing iconic elements of Italian football closer to our community — from the presence of football legends and official trophies at key events, to exclusive fan experiences and storytelling around shared values.
With over 18 million Italian-Americans and more than 41 million Serie A fans in the U.S., this partnership offers a unique opportunity to reconnect new generations with their heritage and foster a renewed sense of pride, identity, and belonging — all through the passion of calcio.
