Mar 3, 2020 - Economy & Business
ESPN streaming rival DAZN pushes major international expansion
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
DAZN, an international sports streaming company, said Monday that it will expand to more than 200 countries and territories this year.
Why it matters: DAZN, pronounced "da-zone," is looking to take on ESPN as a global leader in sports streaming. Its current chairman, John Skipper, is the former president of ESPN.
Details: The company said it will host its first global event, a boxing match featuring Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez, on May 2, the Saturday before Cinco de Mayo.
- That match will mark the first phase of DAZN’s global expansion, which will be an English-language service focused on boxing. Pricing by market will be announced in the coming weeks, the company said in a release.
- The company has invested heavily in professional boxing rights over the past few years. The channel will also include past fights that DAZN has had the rights to stream.
- DAZN EVP Joseph Markowski, who currently heads the company's North American business, will oversee the global service.
The big picture: If you haven't heard of DAZN, it's because it's more popular in markets abroad, like Germany and Japan, and until recently, the company mostly has focused on boxing in the U.S.
- But executives are hoping to change that. Sources have told Axios that the company is eyeing rights to major U.S. sports leagues, including the NFL.
- The company has reportedly been looking to raise $500 million to float its bids.
- DAZN currently operates in nine countries: Austria, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the U.S.
Go deeper: DAZN goes on offense