History of DAZN in Timeline
DAZN is a British over-the-top sports streaming platform, established in 2007 as Perform Group via the merger of Premium TV Limited and Inform Group. It is owned by Access Industries, founded by Sir Len Blavatnik, and headquartered in London. Shay Segev is the CEO (since January 2021). Its non-executive directors include Lincoln Benet, John Gleasure, Guillaume D’Hauteville, Andrew Cramer, and Danny Townsend. Cramer's and Townsend's appointments followed DAZN's acquisition of Foxtel and Surj Sports $1 billion investment in DAZN respectively.
9 hours ago : DAZN and Matchroom Boxing Extend Media Rights Deal for Five Years
DAZN and Matchroom Boxing have signed a five-year extension to their media rights deal. The deal covers the US, UK, and Australia. This solidifies DAZN's commitment to boxing.
2007: DAZN founded as Perform Group
In 2007, DAZN was founded as Perform Group through the merger of Premium TV Limited and Inform Group.
2007: Perform Group Created
In 2007, Perform Group was created through the merger of Premium TV Limited and the Inform Group.
February 2011: Perform acquires Goal.com
In February 2011, Perform acquired Goal.com.
2013: Perform Group combines U.S. businesses with The Sporting News
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: Acquisition of 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 when 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: DAZN's initial losses before tax
In 2015, DAZN's losses before tax were £6.81 million, marking the first published set of accounts.
2015: DAZN platform founded
In 2015, the DAZN platform was founded, broadcasting live and on-demand sports in over 200 countries and territories.
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.
February 2016: Perform Group acquires exclusive media rights to Japanese J.League football
In February 2016, Perform Group announced its acquisition of exclusive worldwide media rights to Japanese J.League football under a 10-year, ¥210 billion (US$2 billion) contract.
August 2016: DAZN launches in Austria, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland
In August 2016, Perform Group launched DAZN in Austria, Germany, Japan and Switzerland, described as the "Netflix for sport".
2016: Increase in DAZN's losses before tax
In 2016, DAZN's losses before tax increased to £77.26 million.
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: Distribution of NFL Sunday Ticket to television providers
In October 2017, after facing technical issues with its Canadian launch, DAZN began to distribute NFL Sunday Ticket to television providers, as had been the case before.
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 J.League divisions
From 2017, under the new contract with J.League, all matches from the three J.League divisions (J1, J2, and J3) would be broadcast under its new DAZN brand.
2017: Further growth in DAZN's losses before tax
In 2017, DAZN's losses before tax further grew to £259.4 million.
February 2018: DAZN acquires rights to Commonwealth Games and MLS Live, adds Roku support
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. 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 expansion into the United States and signs 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.
May 2018: DAZN acquires rights to UEFA Champions League and Europa League in Canada
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, covering the U.S. and other DAZN regions.
September 2018: DAZN officially launched in the U.S.
DAZN officially launched in the U.S. in September 2018, ahead of the Anthony Joshua vs Alexander Povetkin boxing event. Its content included the World Boxing Super Series, the AFC Champions League, and the Chilean Primera Division.
September 2018: Perform Group undergoes reorganization, sports data spun into Perform Content
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.
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.
November 2018: MLB 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.
December 2018: DAZN estimated to be worth £3 billion
In December 2018, DAZN was estimated to be worth £3 billion and described as one of the United Kingdom's few tech "unicorns".
2018: DAZN's losses before tax exceed £520 million
In 2018, DAZN's losses before tax were stated as over £520 million.
January 2019: DAZN acquired rights to 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, with a roster of exclusive premium sport content.
March 2019: DAZN doubled U.S. monthly cost
In March 2019, DAZN doubled its U.S. monthly cost, and introduced a new yearly option at a discount.
March 2019: DAZN signed deal with Gennady Golovkin
On 8 March 2019, DAZN signed a three-year, six-fight deal with Gennady Golovkin, to broadcast two fights per-year.
April 2019: DAZN acquires Canadian rights to 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 "Da Pull Up" and "40 Days"
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: Complaints about streaming quality and commentary bias
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 announces expansion into Brazil
In May 2019, DAZN announced an expansion into Brazil as its ninth market, acquiring rights to various football competitions.
June 2019: Golovkin to fight Steve Rolls
The deal with Gennady Golovkin began with his June 2019 bout against Canadian boxer Steve Rolls.
July 2019: Pat McAfee signed 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: Deal with Comcast to offer DAZN app on Xfinity X1
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: Perform Content Merged With STATS LLC
In 2019, Perform Content was later sold to Vista Equity Partners and merged with STATS LLC to form Stats Perform.
2019: Reported losses since 2019
It was reported in February 2025 that DAZN's losses have exceeded $1 billion annually since 2019.
2019: DAZN's losses exceed £1 billion annually
Since the 2019 financial year, DAZN's losses before tax have exceeded £1 billion annually, up to the most recent published accounts for 2022.
March 2020: DAZN announced expansion into 200 additional countries worldwide
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 to not pay rightsholders due to COVID-19 pandemic
In late March 2020, DAZN stated that it would not pay rightsholders for content that had not been delivered under their contracts due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
May 2020: DAZN and McAfee terminated broadcast partnership
DAZN and McAfee terminated their broadcast partnership in May 2020.
May 2020: DAZN seeking further investments
In May 2020, the Financial Times reported that DAZN was seeking further investments to secure the future of the business, which had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
September 2020: DAZN extended 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: Deal to sell stakes in Goal, Spox, VoetbalZone
In October 2020, DAZN reached a deal to sell stakes in Goal, Spox, and VoetbalZone to Integrated Media Company (IMC), which is a portfolio of TPG Capital.
December 2020: Sporting News sold to PAX Holdings
In December 2020, DAZN sold Sporting News to PAX Holdings.
2020: DAZN acquires rights to Belgian football leagues and faces distribution challenges
In 2020, DAZN acquired the rights to the Belgian Jupiler Pro League, Challenger Pro League, Supercup, and Lotto Super League. After renewing the deal, DAZN faced challenges in securing a deal with a cable broadband service provider, leading to a contract annulment after 5 months and subsequent negotiations with providers.
2020: TPG's IMC acquires majority stake in Goal
In 2020, TPG's Integrated Media Company (IMC) acquired a majority stake in the leading football portal Goal, where DAZN owns a significant minority stake.
2020: GGG Promotions to hold two cards per year
In 2020, the DAZN contract included two cards per-year from Golovkin's GGG Promotions.
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 appointed as DAZN's CEO
In January 2021, Shay Segev was appointed as DAZN's CEO.
March 2021: Kevin A. Mayer becomes chairman of DAZN
In March 2021, Kevin A. Mayer, former Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International executive, replaced John Skipper as the chairman of DAZN. That month, DAZN also secured exclusive broadcasting rights for Serie A TIM in Italy and LaLiga rights in Spain.
June 2021: Five-year agreement with Matchroom Sport
In June 2021, DAZN announced a five-year agreement with Matchroom Sport, and a four-year global broadcasting deal for the UEFA Women's Champions League (excluding China, the Middle East, and North Africa), partnering with YouTube to simulcast 61 matches during the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons.
July 2021: Deal for rights of Japan's Women Empowerment League
In July 2021, DAZN agreed to an eight-year deal for the rights to Japan’s Women Empowerment League.
September 2021: Threat of class action lawsuit and investigations
In September 2021, Italian consumer group Codacons threatened a class action lawsuit against DAZN to revoke its broadcasting rights for Serie A football, after complaints of service blackouts. Italian telecommunications regulator AGCOM and the country's antitrust body opened investigations into the service.
October 2021: DAZN Launches Proprietary Video Player, Mercury
In October 2021, DAZN launched its proprietary video player, Mercury.
November 2021: DAZN X innovation hub launched
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 was awarded the 2021 Apple TV App of the Year award.
2021: Revenue Comparison
In 2022, DAZN reported revenues of $2.3 billion, over 70% increase from 2021, making it the highest grossing sports app in the world. The revenues are being compared to 2021 in this context.
March 2022: DAZN Moments launched
DAZN Moments launched on 24 March 2022. DAZN's NFTs launched alongside the Canelo Álvarez vs. Billy Joe Saunders fight reportedly failed to generate a profit.
April 2022: DAZN Bet launched in the UK
In April 2022, DAZN launched "DAZN Bet" in the UK and signed a strategic partnership with Pragmatic Group to develop its sports betting product.
May 2022: Deal to carry Red Bull TV and partnership with Misfits Boxing
In May 2022, DAZN signed a deal to carry Red Bull TV, including live and on-demand content. That same month, DAZN signed a four-event deal with KSI's Misfits Boxing, carrying cards under the branding "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, beginning with his 20 August rematch against Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia. The deal was valued at £100 million per year, with Joshua also becoming a brand ambassador for DAZN.
July 2022: Plans to add more interactive features
In July 2022, Segev stated that there were plans to add more interactive features to the platform, such as "watch parties", alternative broadcasts of events, and sports betting integration.
August 2022: Technical issues during Serie A season opening day
DAZN continued to suffer technical issues during the season opening day of Serie A in August 2022, leading to condemnation from Italian politicians and Udicon, Italy's consumer protection organization. AGCOM also intervened, leading to DAZN issuing an apology and offering compensations.
August 2022: Launch of MF & DAZN: X Series with Misfits Boxing
In August 2022, DAZN and Misfits Boxing launched "MF & DAZN: X Series", a series of crossover boxing events featuring influencers and celebrities in the boxing ring.
September 2022: DAZN to acquire Eleven Group
In September 2022, DAZN announced that it would acquire sports broadcaster Eleven Group, expanding its position in parts of Asia and Europe, and in global sports streaming rights and technologies.
2022: End of MotoGP, Moto 2 and Moto3 rights for DAZN in Spain
DAZN's rights to broadcast MotoGP, Moto 2 and Moto3 in Spain ended in 2022.
2022: Diversification beyond sports streaming
In 2022, DAZN began diversifying its platform beyond sports streaming to include sports entertainment, such as ticket and merchandise sales, sports non-fungible tokens (NFTs), gaming and betting.
2022: Launch of DAZN Store in Germany and revenue report
In 2022, DAZN launched DAZN Store in Germany, its online e-commerce platform for fan merchandise. That same year, DAZN reported revenues of $2.3 billion, over 70% increase from 2021, making it the highest grossing sports app in the world.
2022: Partnership with YouTube for UEFA Women's Champions League simulcasts
In 2022, DAZN partnered with YouTube to simulcast 61 matches of the UEFA Women's Champions League during the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons as part of a four-year global broadcasting deal (excluding China, the Middle East, and North Africa).
2022: DAZN's losses exceed £1 billion annually
Since the 2019 financial year to the most recent published set of accounts for 2022, DAZN's losses before tax have exceeded £1 billion annually.
January 2023: Agreement to improve service in Italy
In January 2023, DAZN agreed to take urgent steps to improve its service in Italy, after its executives were called to a meeting with Italian government ministers Adolfo Urso and Andrea Abodi.
January 2023: Distribution deal with Amazon Prime Video Channels
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: Deals with Misfits Boxing and All Elite Wrestling (AEW)
In January 2023, DAZN signed a five-year deal with Misfits Boxing and a multi-year agreement with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) to carry its programming in 42 Asian and European territories.
February 2023: Acquisition of NFL Game Pass global rights
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: Finalization of Eleven Group acquisition
The acquisition of Eleven Group by DAZN, which was announced in September 2022, was finalized in February 2023. Eleven was acquired on a share-only basis, while £35m in funding was provided to Eleven subject to an annual interest rate of 14%.
March 2023: End of Kevin A. Mayer's term and launch of DAZN 1 on Sky
In March 2023, DAZN Chairman Kevin A. Mayer's two-year term came to an end. That month, DAZN also launched the DAZN 1 channel on Sky in the UK and Ireland.
March 2023: DAZN extends deal with J.League to 2033
In March 2023, DAZN extended its deal with J.League to 2033.
May 2023: Launch of FAST channels
In May 2023, DAZN launched two new global FAST channels: DAZN Combat and DAZN Women’s Football, available globally through LG, Samsung TV Plus and VIDAA.
July 2023: Partnership with DAIMANI and launch in new markets
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: End of Eurosport carriage agreement
DAZN's carriage agreement with Eurosport ended in August 2023, following an extension in September 2020.
August 2023: Acquisition of ATA Football, launch in France and partnership with Fanatics, Inc.
In August 2023, DAZN acquired US-based women’s football streaming platform ATA Football. DAZN also launched in France, with a sub-licensing agreement with Canal+ to stream weekly Ligue 1 fixtures, and offer carriage of a DAZN 1 linear channel. DAZN also announced a five-year partnership with U.S. sports merchandise retailer Fanatics, Inc.
November 2023: DAZN Moments service termination notice
In November 2023, DAZN published a notice on their dedicated website stating that the DAZN Moments service would be terminated on 30 November 2023, with no further purchases or sales available.
2023: DAZN's group level losses
In 2023, DAZN's losses at the group level were stated as $1.46 billion.
2023: DAZN subscription plans and cancellation policies
In 2023, DAZN's monthly subscription was advertised at $19.99/month, but subscribers were locked into a 12-month contract with cancellation restrictions. The "Flexible Pass" plan at $24.99/month required 30 days' notice for cancellation. Only the yearly subscription cancelled at the end of the billing cycle.
March 2024: DAZN Moments no longer held by customers
DAZN Moments would no longer be held by customers after 14 March 2024.
October 2024: 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 (co-exclusive within the MENA region) to Riyadh Season events, and international rights outside of MENA for its boxing events.
December 2024: Acquisition of exclusive international rights to 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 Foxtel
In December 2024, DAZN announced 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 publishing DAZN Limited's 2023 accounts
The 2023 accounts for DAZN Limited at Companies House were due on December 31, 2024.
2024: DAZN approaching 20 million subscribers
As of 2024, DAZN claimed to be approaching 20 million paid subscribers globally.
2024: DAZN's partial acquisition and withdrawal from Ligue 1
In 2024, DAZN's partial acquisition of Ligue 1 led to a television rights crisis with the LFP, resulting in unpaid installments and DAZN's subsequent withdrawal after one year.
February 2025: Reported Investment from Surj Sports Investment
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%.
February 2025: Publication of DAZN Limited's 2023 accounts
On February 18, 2025, DAZN Limited's 2023 accounts were published at Companies House, despite being due on December 31, 2024.
March 2025: Rights agreement for 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; this agreement will see DAZN host the league's FAST platform LIV Golf+, and develop a paid offering.
April 2025: Completion of Foxtel Acquisition
On 2 April 2025, DAZN completed the acquisition of Foxtel following approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Foreign Investment Review Board. News Corp and Telstra will take 6% and 3% stakes in DAZN, respectively.
June 2025: Partnership with FuboTV
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 as a standalone service. In turn, DAZN would carry Fubo's FAST channel Fubo Sports Network on its platform.
June 2025: Sublicense agreement with TelevisaUnivision for UEFA Champions League matches
In June 2025, DAZN sublicensed the Spanish-language rights to 38 UEFA Champions League matches per-season in the United States 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 NHL to move NHL.tv 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.
September 2025: Agreement with ESPN International to carry college sports broadcasts
In September 2025, DAZN announced agreements with ESPN International to carry ESPN College Football and ESPN College Basketball broadcasts in parts of Europe, MENA, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom.
2025: FIFA Club World Cup rights
In December 2024, DAZN acquired exclusive international rights to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which will be held in 2025.
2027: End of TelevisaUnivision's contract for UEFA Champions League
In June 2025, DAZN sublicensed the Spanish-language rights to 38 UEFA Champions League matches per-season in the United States from TelevisaUnivision. The agreement lasts through 2027, when TelevisaUnivision's contract expires; DAZN had sub-licensed U.S. Spanish television rights to the FIFA Club World Cup to TelevisaUnivision.
2033: DAZN deal with J.League extends to 2033
DAZN's deal with J.League extends to 2033, following an extension announced in March 2023.
2034: FIFA awards the hosting rights for the 2034 FIFA World Cup to Saudi Arabia
Weeks after DAZN 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.
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