ESPN streaming rival DAZN pushes major international expansion

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