Fans of Italian football are missing out on Helbiz Live.
In football streaming wars, established players dominate the scene. Depending on your tastes, many of us subscribe to combinations like ESPN+, Peacock and Paramount+. Still, there’s a world of more niche league-based streaming services, like iFollow catering specifically for fans of England’s lower league football.
But when it comes to Italian football, a name many of us are unfamiliar with is Helbiz Live.
Helbiz is an Italian company founded in New York in 2015. Readers who live in big cities may have seen scooters and bicycles parked next to the sidewalks of other scooter rental companies. The brand has expanded its footprint. Helbiz targeted a niche audience that would spend their money on loyalty rather than street bikes and scooters. In this case it was an Italian football fan. Starting this season, the service offers streaming of Serie B (second division league) for monthly or yearly subscription prices. His CBS contract with Serie A does not cover the lower tiers.
Italian lower division
Serie B is a valuable investment. I have been a defender of Italian football for a long time. Still, Serie B can lead to the worst stereotypes: diving and hand gestures are rampant. Like the rest of the Second Division, it’s overly physical. However, the league’s level of talent is top-notch, leading to a higher quality of play than one would expect from Serie B.
Then there are competing clubs. Start with a club like Venice. His one of America’s favorite football clubs performed well in Serie A. With beautiful waterfront stadiums, fashionable uniforms and extreme American influence, a match in Venice is not to be missed.
The club has struggled this season. As of early February, Venice are just a few points above the relegation zone. If they drop out of Serie B this season, we can’t legally stream their matches. So you’ll want to watch them this season just in case.
Serie B also has many familiar clubs. Genoa, Bari, Cagliari, Parma, SPAL, etc. His last two are of American influence. There are also many interesting managers hanging around on the sidelines. This includes the recently-returned Cagliari’s Claudio Ranieri, SPAL’s Daniele De Rossi and Regina’s Filippo Inzaghi. The table is tight across the board, with a number of well-known players.
Subscribe to Helbiz Live in Serie B
Now that you’re convinced the league is worth your attention, what about streaming services? Currently, monthly subscriptions cost about $6 a month. While not as expensive as the MLS Season Pass, this is a bit expensive to receive one league.
The streams are from leagues, but the quality is top notch. I watched the game on my computer, phone and tablet and streamed it to my TV. The video and audio were clear every time. If you miss a live match, replays are available without score spoilers. There are also add-ons such as weekend recaps, interviews, and match recaps. Identify your favorite teams and easily access their schedules and games. In addition, some subscription options come with Helbiz rental credits.
It has some important drawbacks. Helviz as a company has been through some growing pains. As a result, it’s not as established a sports provider as ESPN. There are basically four commercials for him during the game, so you might get bored with beautiful people on scooters and kids in awe of former Serie B players. There are no league tables built into the app. So you may have to look elsewhere to see where each club will be in the match. Also, the content is in Italian and you have to make sure you subscribe from an English site. You may have a hard time with
I bought a full season subscription in September to watch my favorite clubs and have no regrets. The streaming service is excellent and represents the league well, both in passion in the stands and quality on the pitch. I hope the season doesn’t require me to buy it again.
At least we know that if Hellbis Live remains in Serie B, we can legally enjoy the atmosphere and experience.
Photo: IMAGO / LaPresse