Serie A Appoints Lars Heidenreich as APAC Media Rights Consultant

Serie A has appointed Lars Heidenreich as a media rights consultant for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. The appointment is part of a strategic effort by the Italian soccer league to grow its global visibility and expand its footprint in international markets.

Heidenreich, operating via the consulting firm FSA Consult, will work with the 20-team league to enhance and increase Serie A broadcast rights across the region. His responsibilities include supporting the development of media rights deals, managing institutional relations, and overseeing other media initiatives.

The league’s decision to bring in Heidenreich is based on his extensive experience within the APAC market. He previously spent 11 years at Mediapro, where he served as the managing director for Mediapro Asia, and also held roles at the sports marketing agency Sportfive.

Serie A has identified the Asia-Pacific region as a high-priority area for its commercial and brand growth. The league stated that the region represents a strategic region for the growth of Italian soccer, with a passionate fanbase, expanding commercial opportunities, and growing engagement.

This appointment occurs alongside a complex network of existing media partnerships across different Asian territories. For the 2024-27 cycle, the agency Infront serves as the media rights distribution partner for various Pacific Islands and APAC territories.

The current relationship with Infront represents a change in the league’s global distribution strategy. While Infront previously acted as the worldwide partner for Serie A, the league decided to move away from that model for the current three-season stretch.

Beyond the Infront agreement, Serie A maintains specific partnerships in other parts of the continent. In Central Asia, the league’s partner for the current season is Setanta.

In the Indian subcontinent, the broadcasting rights are held by GXR, a transmedia company based in Dubai. GXR currently streams Serie A matches on a free-to-air basis to increase accessibility in that market.

The addition of Heidenreich and FSA Consult suggests a focused approach to optimizing these varied regional agreements and seeking new opportunities for revenue and viewership growth in the APAC region.