History of DAZN in Timeline
DAZN is a British over-the-top sports streaming and entertainment platform established in 2007. Originally founded as Perform Group through a merger, it's now owned by Access Industries, under Sir Len Blavatnik. Headquartered in London, DAZN is led by CEO Shay Segev (since January 2021) and a board of non-executive directors including Lincoln Benet, John Gleasure, Guillaume D’Hauteville, Andrew Cramer, and Danny Townsend. Cramer and Townsend joined following DAZN's acquisition of Foxtel and a substantial investment from Surj Sports, highlighting the platform's growth and strategic expansions in the sports streaming market.
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, 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 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: Perform Acquires Opta Sports
In 2013, the company bought Opta Sports.
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 losses before tax
In 2015, DAZN's losses before tax were £6.81 million.
2015: DAZN Platform Founded
In 2015, the DAZN platform was founded to broadcast 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 FIBA announced a partnership to distribute and sell broadcasting rights to its basketball competitions.
February 2016: Perform Group Acquires J.League Football Media Rights
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 Launched in Austria, Germany, Japan and Switzerland
In August 2016, Perform Group launched DAZN in Austria, Germany, Japan and Switzerland and was described by media at the time as being the "Netflix for sport".
2016: Increase in losses before tax
In 2016, DAZN's losses before tax increased to £77.26 million.
August 2017: DAZN Sub-licenses Content from beIN Sports Canada
In August 2017, the company 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: Technical Issues and Distribution of NFL Sunday Ticket to TV Providers
In October 2017, as a result of the Canadian launch that was met with technical issues, including inconsistent stream qualities, buffering, and latency between the streams and television broadcasts, DAZN began to distribute NFL Sunday Ticket to television providers.
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 J.League matches
From 2017, all matches from the three J.League divisions (J1, J2, and J3) would be broadcast under its new DAZN brand.
2017: Further growth in company losses
In 2017, company losses before tax further grew to £259.4 million.
February 2018: DAZN Acquired 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 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 for an initial two years with the option for a six-year extension.
May 2018: DAZN Acquires UEFA Champions League and Europa League Rights 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.
August 2018: DAZN Launched 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 Launches 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.
September 2018: Perform Group Reorganized into Perform Content and DAZN Group
In September 2018, DAZN's parent company Perform Group underwent a reorganization, with its sports data business spun into 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.
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—a live nightly studio program featuring look-ins and analysis.
December 2018: DAZN Estimated to be Worth £3 Billion
In December 2018, DAZN was estimated to be worth £3 billion: it was described by the Evening Standard as one of the United Kingdom's few tech "unicorns".
2018: Losses before tax over £520 million
In 2018, losses before tax were stated as over £520 million.
January 2019: DAZN Acquired 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.
March 2019: DAZN Doubled U.S. Monthly Cost
In March 2019, DAZN doubled its U.S. monthly cost, but also 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, under which it would 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 DAZN's Broadcast of Canelo Álvarez vs. Daniel Jacobs Fight
In May 2019, DAZN's broadcast of the Canelo Álvarez vs. Daniel Jacobs boxing fight received numerous complaints for its streaming quality and claims of bias from the commentators.
May 2019: DAZN Announced Expansion into Brazil
In May 2019, the service 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 Fight Against Steve Rolls
In June 2019, Golovkin's deal with DAZN began with his bout against Canadian boxer Steve Rolls. Golovkin cited the broadcaster's "global vision" as an influence on the decision.
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.
September 2019: Comcast offers DAZN app for Xfinity X1 cable boxes
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 to Form Stats Perform
In 2019, Perform Content was sold to Vista Equity Partners and merged with STATS LLC to form Stats Perform.
2019: Annual losses exceeding £1 billion
Since the 2019 financial year, losses before tax have exceeded £1 billion annually.
2019: DAZN losses since 2019
Weeks after DAZN secured the rights to broadcast the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, it was reported in February 2025, that DAZN's losses have exceeded $1 billion annually since 2019.
March 2020: DAZN Announced 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 Stopped Paying Rightsholders Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
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 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 in order 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: Sold Sporting News to PAX Holdings
In December 2020, DAZN sold Sporting News to PAX Holdings.
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, in which DAZN owns a significant minority stake.
2020: DAZN Cancelled MLB-related Programming Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
Just before the start of the 2020 season, DAZN cancelled MLB-related programming due to financial stresses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020: GGG Promotions to Begin
The contract between DAZN and Gennady Golovkin also includes two cards per-year from Golovkin's GGG Promotions beginning in 2020.
January 2021: Shay Segev appointed DAZN's CEO
In January 2021, Shay Segev became DAZN's CEO.
January 2021: Shay Segev Named New CEO of DAZN
In January 2021, Shay Segev, the former CEO of Entain, was appointed as the new CEO of DAZN, succeeding founder James Rushton, with whom he had been acting for the prior six months.
March 2021: Kevin A. Mayer Became Chairman and Secured Broadcasting Rights
In March 2021, Kevin A. Mayer, previously an executive at Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International, became the chairman of DAZN, replacing John Skipper. Also in March 2021, DAZN secured exclusive broadcasting rights for Serie A TIM in Italy and LaLiga rights in Spain.
June 2021: Agreement with Matchroom Sport and UEFA Women's Champions League Deal
In June 2021, DAZN announced a five-year agreement with Matchroom Sport. DAZN also announced 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 of Japan’s Women Empowerment League.
September 2021: Threatened Class Action Lawsuit Against DAZN in Italy
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 Launched Proprietary Video Player, Mercury
In October 2021, DAZN launched Mercury, its proprietary video player.
November 2021: Launched DAZN X Innovation Hub
In November 2021, DAZN launched DAZN X, its innovation hub.
December 2021: Awarded Apple TV App of the Year
In December 2021, DAZN was awarded the 2021 Apple TV App of the Year award.
2021: Revenue for 2021
DAZN's revenues increased by over 70% from 2021 to $2.3 billion in 2022.
March 2022: DAZN Moments Launched
On March 24, 2022, DAZN Moments was launched. The NFT service would later be terminated on November 30, 2023.
April 2022: Launched "DAZN Bet" in the UK
In April 2022, DAZN launched "DAZN Bet" in the UK and formed a strategic partnership with Pragmatic Group to develop its sports betting product.
May 2022: Deal to Carry Red Bull TV and Misfits Boxing Deal
In May 2022, DAZN signed a deal to carry Red Bull TV, including live and on-demand content. Additionally, in May 2022 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 reported to be valued at £100 million per year, with Joshua also becoming a brand ambassador for DAZN.
July 2022: Plans to Add Interactive Features
In July 2022, DAZN's CEO, 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
DAZN continued to suffer technical issues during the season opening day of Serie A in August 2022, and was condemned by multiple Italian politicians and Italy's consumer protection organization Udicon. DAZN issued an apology, and offering compensations to affected customers.
August 2022: Launched "MF & DAZN: X Series" with Misfits Boxing
In August 2022, DAZN and Misfits Boxing launched "MF & DAZN: X Series", which is a series of crossover boxing events that have influencers and celebrities complete 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. The acquisition was finalized in February 2023.
2022: DAZN's coverage of MotoGP, Moto 2 and Moto3 ended.
DAZN covered MotoGP, Moto 2 and Moto3 from 2019-2022.
2022: UEFA Women's Champions League simulcast on YouTube
During 2022, DAZN partnered with YouTube to simulcast 61 matches of the UEFA Women's Champions League during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.
2022: DAZN Diversified its Platform Beyond Sports Streaming
In 2022, DAZN expanded its platform beyond sports streaming to include sports entertainment, encompassing the sale of tickets and merchandise, sports non-fungible tokens (NFTs), gaming, and betting.
2022: Launched DAZN Store in Germany and Increased Revenue
In 2022, DAZN launched DAZN Store in Germany, its online e-commerce platform for fan merchandise. DAZN reported revenues of $2.3 billion in 2022, over 70% increase from 2021, making it the highest grossing sports app in the world.
2022: Annual losses exceeding £1 billion
In 2022, losses before tax have exceeded £1 billion annually.
January 2023: DAZN Agreed to Take Urgent Steps 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: Global Distribution Deal with Amazon for 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: Acquired Global Rights to NFL's Game Pass
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: Acquisition of Eleven Group Finalized
In February 2023, DAZN finalized the acquisition of sports broadcaster Eleven Group, initially announced in September 2022, expanding its presence in Asia, Europe, and global sports streaming.
March 2023: Kevin A. Mayer's Term Ended and DAZN 1 Launched on Sky
In March 2023, DAZN Chairman Kevin A. Mayer’s two-year term came to an end. Also in March 2023, DAZN launched the DAZN 1 channel on Sky in the UK and Ireland.
March 2023: DAZN Extended J.League Deal to 2033
In March 2023, DAZN extended its deal with J.League to 2033.
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: Partnership with DAIMANI and Launches in Belgium, Portugal and Taiwan
In July 2023, DAZN announced a partnership with DAIMANI to launch an integrated ticketing product for DAZN subscribers. In July 2023, DAZN also launched in Belgium, Portugal, and Taiwan, transitioning from former Eleven Sports services.
August 2023: DAZN's carriage agreement with Eurosport expired
DAZN's carriage agreement with Eurosport expired in August 2023.
August 2023: Acquired ATA Football, Launched in France, and Partnership with Fanatics
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. Additionally, DAZN announced a five-year partnership with U.S. sports merchandise retailer Fanatics, Inc.
November 2023: DAZN Moments Service Termination Notice Published
In November 2023, DAZN published a notice on their website stating that the DAZN Moments service would be terminated on November 30, 2023, ceasing further purchases or sales.
2023: DAZN's Subscription Contract Controversy
In 2023, DAZN's monthly subscription advertised at $19.99/month locked subscribers into a 12-month contract with difficult cancellation terms, leading to consumer complaints.
2023: Annual losses exceeding £1 billion
Since the 2019 financial year to 2023, losses before tax have exceeded £1 billion annually.
March 2024: DAZN Moments Would No Longer Be Held by Customers
On March 14, 2024, DAZN Moments would no longer be held by customers.
October 2024: Agreement with Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority for Riyadh Season Events
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 slate of boxing events. The PIF stated that it "has no current plans to invest in the company".
December 2024: 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 Foxtel from News Corp Australia and Telstra
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 DAZN Limited 2023 accounts
In December 2024, the accounts for DAZN Limited were due at Companies House, but were not published until February 2025.
2024: DAZN Approaching 20 Million Subscribers
As of 2024, DAZN claimed to be approaching 20 million paid subscribers globally.
2024: DAZN's Ligue 1 acquisition and subsequent withdrawal
In 2024, after partially acquiring Ligue 1, DAZN faced a television rights crisis due to nearly €300 million in payments to the LFP and ultimately withdrew from the acquisition after just one year.
February 2025: DAZN Limited 2023 accounts published
In February 2025, DAZN Limited's 2023 accounts were published at Companies House, delayed from the due date of December 31, 2024. The group level losses were stated as $1.46 billion.
February 2025: Surj Sports Investment to Invest 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 Announces 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.
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 a standalone service. In turn, DAZN would carry Fubo's FAST channel Fubo Sports Network on its platform.
June 2025: DAZN Sub-licenses Spanish-Language Rights to 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 the National Hockey League (NHL)
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: DAZN holds exclusive international rights to the FIFA Club World Cup
DAZN acquired exclusive international rights to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in December 2024.
2025: DAZN Sale expected to be completed
The DAZN sale is expected to be completed in mid-2025.
2027: Sub-license agreement lasts through 2027
In June 2025, DAZN sublicensed the Spanish-language rights to 38 UEFA Champions League matches in the United States per-season from TelevisaUnivision, this agreement lasts through 2027, when TelevisaUnivision's contract expires.
2033: DAZN will broadcast J.League until 2033
DAZN's deal with J.League extended to 2033.
2034: DAZN secures rights to broadcast the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup
In February 2025, the deal was concluded 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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