How AS Roma Can Grow Its Global Following and Increase Revenues Off the Pitch

Sitting fifth in Serie A after 20 games, adrift of the top spot by seven points, it has been a fairly as-expected opening stanza for AS Roma. The 13 wins coupled with seven losses and zero draws is a bit of an eyebrow-raiser, but there’s been plenty on the pitch to enjoy and there are some clear areas in need of improvement.

Gianluca Mancini and Mile Svilar have been among the standout performers so far, while the club’s wins on the continent have been the highlights. Even though Roma isn’t on the same level as the frontrunners of Serie A, as shown by the head-to-head games this year, the iconic club remains a major draw overseas.

Of course, success on the pitch will lead to bigger fan bases and more revenue beyond the local and Italian contingent, but that’s not all that drives fans into the community. From a strong base, Roma could explore more options to increase the team’s global appeal.

Building from Firm Foundations

Even without much success in the league for several years, Roma remains the fifth most popular club in Italy. While trailing the eight million fans of Juventus, as of the close of the 2023/24 season, Roma’s 1.8 million fans in Italy are a very firm foundation of support. Fandom and growth certainly reflect success on the pitch.

However, if fandom were solely down to success and locality, teams would only see their following grow from the local population in the seasons they win a trophy. New opportunities are opening abroad to find new fans, particularly in the most lucrative sports market in the world.

After hosting the FIFA Club World Cup and with the next FIFA World Cup arriving this summer, the US will be in its hungriest state, perhaps ever, for becoming a firm football fan base. Clubs that can exploit this will do well. Roma could follow the NFL strategy for global growth by playing competitive games in key US markets to get more fans.

Options for Growing the Global Fandom

Serie A has long been taking the show on the road. The Supercoppa Italiana has only been played in Italy five times since 2009, going to China, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. There are certainly better football markets to target with these kinds of events, but this does show a willingness to take the product and showcase it to new fans.

For a more passive way that fans can engage with throughout the year, Roma could dive into the entertainment media space. Online, official, and branded games are all the rage right now. It started with slots, but now, there’s even Breaking Bad Roulette and Age of the Gods Roulette at online casinos in the United Kingdom.

Immediately, the online casino market of the UK presents itself as a possible avenue for Roma to present a product to new fans and see what happens. This arena is particularly useful because the UK is a very well-established football market already. Beyond this, the club could also look to docu-series, like the colossal hit Drive to Survive.

Juventus already have an All or Nothing series, which football fans around the world enjoyed, but the way in which Drive to Survive is shot and how far it’s willing to go has certainly proved to be more engaging and popular. Roma following suit and leaning into the struggles and drama could certainly win over extra fans around the world.

AS Roma is a historic club with superb players and a strong base following. By exploring some extra avenues of reaching football fans beyond Italy, the club could see its fan base and revenues grow.