History of DAZN in Timeline

DAZN is a British sports streaming and entertainment platform established in 2007 as Perform Group, following the merger of Premium TV Limited and Inform Group. Owned by Access Industries, founded by Sir Len Blavatnik, DAZN is headquartered in London, England. Shay Segev has been the CEO since January 2021, with Lincoln Benet, John Gleasure, and Guillaume D’Hauteville serving as non-executive directors. It delivers live and on-demand sports content to various markets via an over-the-top subscription service.

2007: Perform Group Formation

In 2007, Perform Group was created through the merger of Premium TV Limited and Inform Group.

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 Acquires Opta Sports

In 2013, Perform bought sports data company 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 Platform Founded

In 2015, the DAZN platform was founded and began broadcasting live and on-demand sports in over 200 countries worldwide.

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 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 Launched in Multiple Countries

In August 2016, Perform Group launched DAZN in Austria, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland. It was described by media at the time as being the "Netflix for sport".

July 2017: DAZN Expands into Canada

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 Sub-licenses 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.

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 DAZN brand.

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.

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 Expands 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. The deal with Matchroom was signed 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 and included the U.S. and all other regions currently served by DAZN. The rights include seven 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.

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. 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 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: 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 Worth

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

January 2019: DAZN Acquires 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 Launches in Spain

DAZN launched in Spain in February 2019, becoming its eighth market. The service went live with a roster of exclusive premium sport content including MotoGP, Moto 2 and Moto3.

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.

April 2019: DAZN Acquires Premier League Rights in Canada

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 Premieres 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 Announces Expansion 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 Fights Steve Rolls

The DAZN deal with Gennady Golovkin began with his June 2019 bout against Canadian boxer Steve Rolls. Golovkin cited the broadcaster's "global vision" as an influence on the decision.

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.

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.

2019: Perform Content Merged with STATS LLC

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

March 2020: DAZN Announces Expansion into 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 Halts Payments to Rightsholders

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 resulting in widespread suspension of international sport.

May 2020: DAZN and McAfee Terminate Broadcast Partnership

DAZN and 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 Sells Stakes in Media Outlets to IMC

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: 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: GGG Promotions Airs on DAZN

In March 2019, DAZN signed a three-year, six-fight deal with Gennady Golovkin. The contract also includes two cards per-year from Golovkin's GGG Promotions beginning in 2020.

2020: DAZN Cancels MLB Programming Due to COVID-19

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 DAZN's CEO

In January 2021, Shay Segev became DAZN's CEO. The non-executive directors were Lincoln Benet, John Gleasure, and Guillaume D’Hauteville.

2022: DAZN Exclusive Rights to MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 Ends

DAZN exclusive rights to MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 ended in 2022.

March 2023: DAZN Extends Deal with J.League to 2033

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

August 2023: DAZN's Carriage Agreement with Eurosport Extended Through August 2023

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

2023: DAZN Subscriber Count Reaches 20 Million

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

2024: Partial Acquisition of Ligue 1

In 2024, DAZN's partial acquisition of Ligue 1 led to a television rights crisis due to payment disputes with the LFP, resulting in DAZN withdrawing from the acquisition after only one year.