DAZN’s ‘Netflix for sport’ subscription service is expanding to 200 countries including the UK
DAZN is focusing its efforts on boxing, initially at least, with the first global event taking place on 2 May
The international sports streaming service DAZN – dubbed ‘Netflix for Sport’ – is set to expand to more than 200 countries over the coming months, including the UK.
Its pay-per-view offerings are already available in Austria, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Canada, Spain, Italy and the United States – and in December, it secured the rights to Champions League football in Germany from 2021, taking it from Sky after 20 years. It is also one of the most popular ways to watch Champions League and Premier League football in Canada and Japan.
Don’t expect the same level of rights in the UK however. Certainly not at launch. The delay in rolling out the service more widely – including in the UK – is reportedly down to the extreme prices that football sporting rights sell for locally.
Instead, DAZN is focusing its efforts on boxing, initially at least, with the first global event taking place on 2 May. This will see Mexico’s Canelo Alvarez’s fight against an as-yet unconfirmed fighter in what’s being called the Cinco de Mayo Weekend fight. It is likely this opponent will be Billy Joe Saunders, after comments made by Alvarez’s coach appeared to confirm the rumours.
DAZN already owns the international rights to promotional companies including Golden Boy Promotions, Matchroom Boxing USA and GGG Promotions.
“Beginning this spring, most of the world will have access to DAZN and its unmatched schedule of boxing events,” said DAZN Group Executive Chairman John Skipper. “Our roster of championship fighters represents some of the world’s most popular athletes and we’ll be working with them to stage spectacular international events for years to come.”
In addition to live sporting events, DAZN is expected to offer classic fights, athlete features and original programming.
The DAZN app will be available globally on “most internet-connected devices”, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, PCs, smart TVs, streaming sticks and game consoles. DAZN didn’t confirm exactly which yet, and we’ll likely find out when the pricing for the individual markets is announced in the coming weeks.
In the UK, this price is expected to be £4.99/mth.