History of DAZN in Timeline

DAZN is a British over-the-top sports streaming and entertainment platform, established in 2007 initially as Perform Group through a merger. It is owned by Access Industries, founded by Sir Len Blavatnik, and headquartered in London. Shay Segev is the CEO as of January 2021. The non-executive directors include Lincoln Benet, John Gleasure, and Guillaume D’Hauteville.

2007: Perform Group Creation

In 2007, Perform Group was created through the merger of Premium TV Limited, an event sport broadcasting network, and the Inform Group, a digital sports rights agency.

February 2011: Perform Acquires Goal.com

In February 2011, Perform acquired Goal.com.

2013: Perform Group forms Sporting News Media

In 2013, Perform Group combined its U.S. businesses with The Sporting News to form Sporting News Media, in which it took a 65% stake.

2013: Perform Buys Opta Sports

In 2013, Perform bought Opta Sports, a sports data company.

November 2014: Perform Group De-listed from London Stock Exchange

In November 2014, Perform Group was de-listed from the London Stock Exchange after Access Industries increased its stake in the company from 42.5% to 77%.

December 2014: Perform and WTA Announce Media Deal

In December 2014, Perform and the WTA announced a 10-year media deal, under which they would jointly form WTA Media to manage and distribute its media rights.

2015: First Published Accounts

In 2015, DAZN's first published set of accounts revealed losses before tax of £6.81 million.

2015: DAZN platform founded

In 2015, the DAZN platform was founded, broadcasting live and on-demand sports in over 200 countries with a strong domestic presence in various regions.

February 2016: Perform Group acquires exclusive media rights to Japanese J.League football

In February 2016, Perform Group acquired exclusive worldwide media rights to Japanese J.League football under a 10-year, ¥210 billion (US$2 billion) contract, succeeding the league's ¥5 billion deal with SKY Perfect.

February 2016: Perform Group and FIBA Announce Partnership

In February 2016, Perform Group and the FIBA announced a partnership to distribute and sell broadcasting rights to its basketball competitions.

August 2016: DAZN Launched in Key Markets

In August 2016, Perform Group launched DAZN in Austria, Germany, Japan and Switzerland.

2016: Losses Increase in 2016

In 2016, DAZN's losses before tax increased to £77.26 million.

July 2017: DAZN Expands into Canada, Acquires NFL Rights

In July 2017, DAZN announced that it would expand into Canada, after having acquired over-the-top streaming rights to the National Football League in Canada, including NFL Game Pass and access to NFL RedZone.

August 2017: DAZN Sublicenses Content from beIN Sports Canada

In August 2017, DAZN reached a deal to sublicense content from beIN Sports Canada, including selected UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches, as well as other international sports rights.

October 2017: DAZN Distributes NFL Sunday Ticket to TV providers

Due to initial technical issues with the Canadian launch, including inconsistent stream qualities, DAZN began to distribute NFL Sunday Ticket to television providers in October 2017.

November 2017: DAZN Acquires Canadian Rights to FIBA Events

On 20 November 2017, DAZN acquired Canadian rights to International Basketball Federation (FIBA) events.

2017: DAZN to broadcast all matches from the three J.League divisions

From 2017, all matches from the three J.League divisions (J1, J2, and J3) would be broadcast under its new DAZN brand, following Perform Group's acquisition of exclusive worldwide media rights to Japanese J.League football in February 2016.

2017: Losses Further Grow in 2017

In 2017, DAZN's company losses before tax further grew to £259.4 million.

February 2018: DAZN Acquires Rights to Commonwealth Games and MLS Live

In February 2018, DAZN acquired Canadian broadcast rights to the 2018 Commonwealth Games and subsumed Major League Soccer's digital out-of-market service MLS Live — with live and on-demand streaming of matches featuring U.S. teams. Roku support was also added that month.

February 2018: DAZN Sub-licenses Japanese Rights from Softbank

In February 2018, DAZN sub-licensed Japanese rights to the B.League, Nippon Professional Baseball, La Liga, and the Premier League from Softbank.

May 2018: DAZN Announces US Expansion and Boxing Deal with Matchroom Boxing

In May 2018, DAZN announced its expansion into the United States and the signing of a broadcasting deal with Matchroom Boxing for an initial two years with the option for a six-year extension.

May 2018: DAZN acquires exclusive Canadian rights to the UEFA Champions League and Europa League

In May 2018, DAZN announced that it had acquired exclusive Canadian rights to the UEFA Champions League and Europa League, beginning in the 2018–19 season and replacing TSN.

June 2018: DAZN Announces Streaming Rights Deal with Bellator

In June 2018, DAZN announced a five-year streaming rights deal with the Viacom-owned mixed martial arts promotion Bellator, including the U.S. and other regions served by DAZN. The rights include exclusive events per-year, as well as all events televised by Paramount Network.

August 2018: DAZN Launches in Italy

DAZN launched in Italy in August 2018, with an acquisition of exclusive rights to 114 Serie A matches beginning in the 2018–19 season and other domestic rights on launch including the European Rugby Champions Cup, Showtime Championship Boxing, UFC programming, and the World Rally Championship.

September 2018: DAZN officially launched in the U.S.

DAZN officially launched in the U.S. in September 2018, ahead of its first boxing event of Anthony Joshua vs Alexander Povetkin on 22 September. Its launch content also included the World Boxing Super Series, as well as the AFC Champions League, the Chilean Primera Division, J-League and other content. DAZN's broadcast team for its U.S. boxing events is led by "Sugar" Ray Leonard and Brian Kenny on play-by-play, with LZ Granderson as ringside reporter, and Michael Buffer as ring announcer. Buffer appeared in a U.S. marketing campaign for the service, contrasting its business model to pay-per-views.

September 2018: Perform Group undergoes reorganization

In September 2018, DAZN's parent company Perform Group underwent a reorganization, with its sports data business spun into a second company known as Perform Content and its consumer properties retained as DAZN Group.

October 2018: DAZN Signs Deal with Canelo Álvarez

In October 2018, DAZN announced that it had signed a five-year, 11-fight deal with Mexican boxer Canelo Álvarez valued at a minimum of $365 million, beginning with his then-upcoming bout against Rocky Fielding in December for the WBA super middleweight title.

November 2018: Major League Baseball Announces Content Partnership with DAZN

In November 2018, Major League Baseball announced a three-year content partnership with DAZN, which includes on-demand highlights, and ChangeUp—a live nightly studio program featuring look-ins and analysis.

December 2018: DAZN Estimated Worth

In December 2018, DAZN was estimated to be worth £3 billion and was described by the Evening Standard as one of the United Kingdom's few tech "unicorns".

2018: Losses Stated Over £520 Million in 2018

In 2018, DAZN's losses before tax were stated as over £520 million.

January 2019: DAZN Acquires Rights to 2019 AFC Asian Cup

In January 2019, DAZN acquired the rights to broadcast the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in Canada and the United States.

February 2019: DAZN Launched in Spain

In February 2019, DAZN launched in Spain, becoming its eighth market. The service went live with a roster of exclusive premium sport content including MotoGP, Moto 2 and Moto3 (2019–2022), EuroLeague, EuroCup and Premier League. Other rights included FA Cup, EFL Cup, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana, EFL Championship, UFC, Golden Boy, Matchroom Boxing and PDC Darts.

March 2019: DAZN Doubles U.S. Monthly Cost, Introduces Yearly Option

In March 2019, DAZN doubled its U.S. monthly cost, but also introduced a new yearly option at a discount.

March 2019: DAZN signs deal with Gennady Golovkin

On 8 March 2019, DAZN signed a three-year, six-fight deal with Gennady Golovkin, under which it would broadcast two fights per-year. On 13 March 2019, DAZN re-organised the Perform Media division into DAZN Media with handling of advertising and sponsorship sales for DAZN's global operations, including the "DAZN+" program (which coordinates "personalised communications" between its partners and subscribers), and DAZN Player (formerly ePlayer), the group's syndicated video content service.

April 2019: DAZN acquires Canadian rights to the Premier League

In April 2019, DAZN announced that it had acquired Canadian rights to the Premier League, replacing Sportsnet and TSN, under a three-year deal.

April 2019: DAZN premiered a new show and docuseries

In April 2019, DAZN premiered a new show, Da Pull Up, hosted by Akin "Ak" Reyes and Barak Bess, and premiered the first episode of 40 Days - docuseries chronicling the lead-up to Canelo Álvarez's bout against Daniel Jacobs.

May 2019: DAZN broadcast of Canelo Álvarez vs. Daniel Jacobs boxing fight

DAZN's broadcast of the Canelo Álvarez vs. Daniel Jacobs boxing fight on 4 May 2019 received numerous complaints for its streaming quality and claims of bias from the commentators.

May 2019: DAZN Expands into Brazil

In May 2019, DAZN announced an expansion into Brazil as its ninth market, acquiring rights to the Copa Sudamericana and Campeonato Brasileiro Série C, and other international football competitions among other properties.

June 2019: Golovkin's bout against Steve Rolls

In June 2019, Gennady Golovkin's deal with DAZN began with his bout against Canadian boxer Steve Rolls. Golovkin's promoter explained that the choice of a Canadian boxer was intended to help encourage DAZN subscriptions in the country.

July 2019: DAZN reaches syndication deal with Eurosport

In July 2019, DAZN also reached a syndication deal with Eurosport in Austria, Germany, Italy, and Spain, allowing DAZN subscribers to access live and on-demand sports programming from Eurosport in these regions. In addition, DAZN sub-licensed 45 Bundesliga matches from Eurosport in Germany and Austria over the next two seasons — with 39 exclusive to the service.

July 2019: Pat McAfee Signs Content Deal with DAZN

In July 2019, former Indianapolis Colts punter and WWE personality Pat McAfee signed a content deal with DAZN, which added television simulcasts of his podcast and The Pat McAfee Show to the service, as well as contributions to shoulder content for DAZN's NFL rights.

September 2019: Comcast reached a deal with DAZN

In September 2019, Comcast reached a deal with DAZN to offer an app for the service its Xfinity X1 cable boxes, becoming the first U.S. television provider to offer support for the service within their platform.

2019: Annual Losses Exceed £1 Billion

From the 2019 financial year to the most recent published set of accounts for 2022, losses before tax have exceeded £1 billion annually.

2019: Perform Content merges with STATS LLC to form Stats Perform

In 2019, Perform Content was sold to Vista Equity Partners and merged with STATS LLC to form Stats Perform.

2019: DAZN losses exceeded $1 billion annually

It was reported in February 2025 that DAZN, whose losses have exceeded $1 billion annually since 2019, secured the rights to broadcast the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and FIFA awarded the hosting rights for the 2034 FIFA World Cup to Saudi Arabia as the sole bidder for the tournament.

March 2020: DAZN Announces Expansion into 200 Additional Countries

In March 2020, DAZN announced that it would expand into 200 additional countries worldwide, with an initial focus on giving wider distribution to its boxing and original content portfolio.

March 2020: DAZN suspends payment to rightsholders

With the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in widespread suspension of international sport, DAZN stated in late March 2020 that it would not pay rightsholders for content that had not been delivered under their contracts.

May 2020: DAZN and McAfee Terminate Broadcast Partnership

DAZN and Pat McAfee terminated their broadcast partnership in May 2020.

May 2020: DAZN Seeks Further Investments

In May 2020, the Financial Times reported that DAZN was seeking further investments in order to secure the future of the business, which had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

September 2020: DAZN Extends Carriage Agreement with Eurosport

In September 2020, DAZN extended their carriage agreement with Eurosport through August 2023, and added Switzerland to the agreement.

October 2020: DAZN To Sell Stakes in Goal, Spox, VoetbalZone

In October 2020, DAZN reached a deal to sell stakes in Goal, Spox, VoetbalZone to Integrated Media Company (IMC), a portfolio of TPG Capital.

December 2020: DAZN Sells Sporting News to PAX Holdings

In December 2020, DAZN sold Sporting News to PAX Holdings.

2020: GGG Promotions begins cards per-year

In 2020, Gennady Golovkin's GGG Promotions began two cards per-year, which are also included in the DAZN contract.

2020: TPG's IMC acquires majority stake in Goal

In 2020, TPG's Integrated Media Company (IMC) acquired a majority stake in the football portal Goal, with DAZN retaining a significant minority stake.

2020: DAZN Cancels MLB-related Programming

Just before the start of the 2020 season, DAZN cancelled MLB-related programming due to financial stresses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

January 2021: Shay Segev becomes DAZN's CEO

In January 2021, Shay Segev became DAZN's CEO.

March 2021: DAZN secures exclusive broadcasting rights of Serie A TIM and LaLiga

In March 2021, DAZN obtained the exclusive broadcasting rights for Serie A TIM in Italy and LaLiga in Spain.

March 2021: Kevin A. Mayer becomes chairman of DAZN

In March 2021, Kevin A. Mayer, previously an executive at Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International, took over as chairman of DAZN, replacing John Skipper.

June 2021: Agreement with Matchroom Sport

In June 2021, DAZN announced a five-year agreement with Matchroom Sport.

July 2021: Deal for rights of Japan’s Women Empowerment League

In July 2021, DAZN secured an eight-year deal for the broadcasting rights to Japan’s Women Empowerment League.

September 2021: Threat of class action lawsuit against DAZN

In September 2021, Italian consumer group Codacons threatened a class action lawsuit against DAZN to revoke its broadcasting rights for Serie A football, following complaints of service blackouts.

October 2021: DAZN launches Mercury video player

In October 2021, DAZN introduced Mercury, its own proprietary video player.

November 2021: DAZN launches DAZN X innovation hub

In November 2021, DAZN launched DAZN X, which is its innovation hub.

December 2021: DAZN awarded Apple TV App of the Year

In December 2021, DAZN received the 2021 Apple TV App of the Year award.

2021: DAZN revenue reported

In 2021, DAZN reported revenues of $2.3 billion, over 70% increase from 2021, making it the highest grossing sports app in the world.

March 2022: DAZN Moments launched

DAZN Moments launched on 24 March 2022, as an NFT platform.

April 2022: DAZN Bet launched in the UK

In April 2022, DAZN introduced "DAZN Bet" in the UK and formed a strategic alliance with Pragmatic Group to advance its sports betting offerings.

May 2022: DAZN signs deal to carry Red Bull TV

In May 2022, DAZN entered into an agreement to feature Red Bull TV, offering both live and on-demand content.

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May 2022: DAZN signs deal with KSI's Misfits Boxing

In May 2022, DAZN inked a four-event deal with KSI's Misfits Boxing, presenting cards under the banner "MF & DAZN: X Series".

June 2022: Global broadcasting deal with Anthony Joshua

In June 2022, DAZN announced a global broadcasting deal with British boxer Anthony Joshua, starting with his rematch against Oleksandr Usyk on August 20 in Saudi Arabia.

July 2022: Plans to add interactive features

In July 2022, DAZN CEO Segev announced plans to incorporate more interactive features into the platform, including "watch parties", alternative event broadcasts, and sports betting integration.

August 2022: Technical issues during Serie A opening day

DAZN faced continued technical problems during the Serie A season opening day in August 2022, drawing condemnation from Italian politicians and consumer protection organization Udicon.

August 2022: Launch of MF & DAZN: X Series

In August 2022, DAZN and Misfits Boxing introduced "MF & DAZN: X Series", featuring crossover boxing events with influencers and celebrities competing in the ring.

September 2022: DAZN to acquire Eleven Group

In September 2022, DAZN announced its plan to acquire sports broadcaster Eleven Group to enhance its presence in Asia and Europe, along with global sports streaming rights and technologies.

2022: DAZN Holds Rights for MotoGP, Moto 2 and Moto3

As of February 2019, DAZN holds rights for MotoGP, Moto 2 and Moto3 (2019–2022).

2022: Annual Losses Exceed £1 Billion

From the 2019 financial year to the most recent published set of accounts for 2022, losses before tax have exceeded £1 billion annually.

2022: DAZN Store launched in Germany

In 2022, DAZN launched DAZN Store in Germany, its online e-commerce platform for fan merchandise.

January 2023: DAZN and Amazon agree to a global distribution deal

In January 2023, DAZN and Amazon agreed a global distribution deal for DAZN’s streaming service on Amazon’s Prime Video Channels platform.

January 2023: DAZN agrees to improve its service in Italy

In January 2023, DAZN committed to urgent steps to enhance its service in Italy after a meeting between its executives and Italian government ministers.

January 2023: Five-year deal with Misfits Boxing, agreement with AEW

In January 2023, DAZN signed a five-year agreement with Misfits Boxing and a multi-year agreement with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) to broadcast its content in 42 Asian and European countries.

February 2023: DAZN acquired the global rights to the NFL's Game Pass service

In February 2023, DAZN announced that it had acquired the global rights to the NFL's Game Pass service outside of the U.S. and China under a 10-year deal beginning in the 2023 NFL season; it will be sold as a standalone subscription service on the DAZN platform.

February 2023: DAZN finalizes acquisition of Eleven Group

In February 2023, DAZN finalized the acquisition of Eleven Group. The details included Eleven being acquired on a share-only basis, while £35m in funding was provided to Eleven subject to an annual interest rate of 14%.

March 2023: DAZN extends deal with J.League to 2033

In March 2023, DAZN extended its deal with J.League to 2033.

March 2023: Kevin A. Mayer's term ends, DAZN 1 channel launched on Sky

In March 2023, Kevin A. Mayer's two-year term as DAZN Chairman concluded. Also in March 2023, DAZN launched the DAZN 1 channel on Sky in the UK and Ireland.

May 2023: DAZN launched two new global FAST channels

In May 2023, DAZN launched two new global FAST channels, DAZN Combat and DAZN Women’s Football, which will be available globally through LG, Samsung TV Plus and VIDAA.

July 2023: DAZN announced a partnership with DAIMANI

In July 2023 DAZN announced a partnership with DAIMANI to launch an integrated ticketing product for DAZN subscribers.The same month, it also launched in Belgium, Portugal, and Taiwan, transitioning from former Eleven Sports services.

August 2023: DAZN and Eurosport Agreement Extended

As of September 2020, DAZN's carriage agreement with Eurosport is extended through August 2023, now including Switzerland.

August 2023: DAZN acquired US-based women’s football streaming platform ATA Football

In August 2023, it was announced DAZN had acquired US-based women’s football streaming platform ATA Football. DAZN also launched in France, with the company reaching a sub-licensing agreement with Canal+ to stream weekly Ligue 1 fixtures on the service, and offer carriage of a DAZN 1 linear channel for Canal+ customers. DAZN also announced a five-year partnership with U.S. sports merchandise retailer Fanatics, Inc.

November 2023: DAZN Moments service to be terminated

In November 2023, DAZN published a notice stating that DAZN Moments service would be terminated on 30 November 2023, with no further purchases or sales available.

2023: DAZN Subscriber Count Reaches 20 Million

As of 2023, the DAZN service has reached 20 million paid subscribers globally.

2023: Financial Losses

DAZN's accounts for the year 2023, revealed losses at the group level were stated as $1.46 billion.

2023: DAZN's Subscription Plan Details

In 2023, DAZN's monthly subscription was advertised at $19.99/month, however, subscribers were locked into a 12-month contract (the details of which are disclosed in the fine print), and were not allowed to cancel until the end of the 12 months.

March 2024: DAZN Moments no longer held by customers

DAZN Moments would no longer be held by customers after 14 March 2024.

October 2024: DAZN agreement with Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority

In October 2024, DAZN reached an agreement with Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, giving it exclusive rights to Riyadh Season events, and international rights outside of MENA for its slate of boxing events.

December 2024: DAZN acquired exclusive international rights to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup

In December 2024, DAZN acquired exclusive international rights to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

December 2024: DAZN to acquire Australian pay television provider Foxtel

In December 2024, DAZN announced that it would acquire Australian pay television provider Foxtel from News Corp Australia and Telstra in a AU$3.4 billion deal.

December 2024: Deadline for 2023 Accounts

The deadline for DAZN Limited's 2023 accounts at Companies House was December 31, 2024, however, they were not published until February 2025.

2024: Ligue 1 Acquisition and Withdrawal

In 2024, DAZN partially acquired Ligue 1 and was required to pay the LFP nearly €300 million in three installments, leading to a television rights crisis, refusal to pay two-thirds of the sum, and eventual withdrawal from the acquisition after one year.

February 2025: Publication of 2023 Accounts

In February 2025, DAZN Limited's 2023 accounts were published at Companies House, revealing group-level losses of $1.46 billion, despite being due on December 31, 2024.

February 2025: Surj Sports Investment to invest $1 billion in DAZN

In February 2025, it was reported that Surj Sports Investment, the sporting arm of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, had agreed to invest $1 billion in DAZN for a stake of less than 5%.

March 2025: DAZN rights agreement for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf

In March 2025, DAZN announced a rights agreement for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf covering 200 territories, with exclusive rights in Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Portugal and Switzerland.

June 2025: DAZN and American competitor FuboTV announced a partnership

In June 2025, DAZN and American competitor FuboTV announced a partnership, under which DAZN would provide a channel known as DAZN1 to carry its boxing and MMA events. DAZN1 would be sold by FuboTV as an add-on for its streaming television service, and a standalone service. In turn, DAZN would carry Fubo's FAST channel Fubo Sports Network on its platform.

June 2025: DAZN sublicensed Spanish-language rights to UEFA Champions League matches in the United States

In June 2025, DAZN sublicensed the Spanish-language rights to 38 UEFA Champions League matches in the United States per-season from TelevisaUnivision; the package also includes Europa League matches, and simulcast rights for two quarter finals, the semi-finals, and final.

July 2025: Agreement with the National Hockey League (NHL) to move its NHL.tv service to DAZN

On 30 July 2025, DAZN announced an agreement with the National Hockey League (NHL) to move its NHL.tv service to DAZN beginning in the 2025–26 NHL season, as either part of the DAZN service or as an add-on subscription. The agreement covers around 200 countries.

2025: Sale of Foxtel expected to be completed

The sale of Foxtel, among other assets, will give DAZN control of Foxtel's Fox Sports networks and Hubbl streaming business, which includes competing OTT service Kayo Sports. The sale is expected to be completed in mid-2025.