After a quick aperitivo, nearly 30,000 fans will pass through the archway at the Stadio Ennio Tardini, no doubt the strains of Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida reverberating around the old ground, as they take their seats for newly promoted Parma’s game against AC Milan on Saturday.
In the United States, the action could theoretically reach 125million people as it becomes the first Serie A game to be shown on national television. Kicking off at 12:30pm ET on CBS, the league is hopeful it will break the previous record audience for a broadcast in this market, standing as it does at only 225,000 viewers.
If the game between the two American-owned clubs performs well — let’s say USMNT star Christian Pulisic scores a backheel like the one Jeremy Menez netted in a mind-bending nine-goal thriller in this fixture in 2015 — then there is scope for more. Four were talked about when CBS Sports and Serie A agreed a new two-year deal in July.
