Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
The Roc is in the stadium. Jay Z’s Roc Nation scored a partnership deal with Italian soccer league Serie A, the country’s top league.
The deal was done to help Serie A expand its brand into the United States, which is less of a market for the global sport than the rest of the world. Roc Nation has been working with Serie A since 2019, including on a COVID charity event for workers of AC Milan, hosted by DJ Khaled with performances by Alicia Keys and Kelly Rowland.
All 380 games of Serie A’s Season are shown in the U.S. via Paramount+.
“We are super excited to help Serie A expand its brand throughout America while helping to develop meaningful commercial partnerships along with enhanced brand visibility that will lead to continued growth for one of the world’s premier football leagues,” Roc Nation president Michael Yormark said in a statement.
Roc Nation already represents soccer stars, including Belgian player Romelu Lukaku, 30, who joined Inter Milan, he says, at Jay-Z’s recommendation. Lukaku recently made headlines off the pitch for reportedly dating rap star Megan Thee Stallion.
But the Serie A league covering the teams AC, Juventus and Napoli, and Inter Milan has seen its fair share of racist incidents, including ones with Lukaku. In April, he was penalized after responding to bigoted chants in Turin, Italy. The partnership will have to address the racism around soccer in order to expand its U.S. fanbase in a country now dominated by the NFL and NBA.
Yormark said in April in a statement released to AP, “The Italian authorities must use this opportunity to tackle racism rather than punish the victim of the abuse. I am certain that the footballing world shares the same sentiment.”
