Juventus' Juan Cuadrado, Cristiano Ronaldo, Blaise Matuidi
From left: Juventus' Juan Cuadrado, Cristiano Ronaldo, Blaise Matuidi and Emre Can. Image Credit: AP

Milan. Serie A should consider having earlier kick-offs to help grow the Asian audience and boost clubs’ finances, Juventus chief revenue officer Giorgio Ricci has said.

The “big five” European Leagues enjoyed record revenues in the 2017-18 season, earning a combined 15.6 billion euros, but Serie A lags behind the Premier League, Bundesliga and La Liga.

“We have to find the right balance between domestic and global audiences,” Ricci told BBC Sport.

“It is not just about the broadcasting times, it is also about the rights distribution and who is showing the games.

“In that sense, the difference between the Premier League and Serie A is huge. This is a very old story and one of the more frequent reasons for fights with the league.”

Juve say the evening kick-offs in Italy reduce the scope to attract viewers in Asia. The current television rights deal for Serie A matches runs until 2021.

The new Serie A season kicks off on Saturday with champions Juve playing at Parma.