A boxing-centric streamer goes global — can it KO ESPN+?

DAZN wants to make a mark globally before its competitors can gain a foothold overseas.

DAZN, the sports-streaming service with the oddball name that built its brand on boxing, is expanding to 200+ markets around the globe, The Wall Street Journal reported.

A boxing-centric streamer goes global — can it KO ESPN+?

DAZN is bobbing while others weave

John Skipper, the company’s chairman and an ex-ESPN president, says his outfit (pronounced “da zone,” which, uh… if you say so, Skip!) wants to go big internationally before its biggest competitors.

  • The company has about 8m paid subscribers, compared to ~7.6m for ESPN+, the Worldwide Leader’s subscription streaming service.
  • DAZN is already available in 8 countries outside the US.

So why place such a big bet overseas?

Because broadcast deals are da zone where dreams are made…

… and they’re spoken for inside the US. The domestic rights to broadcast major sports leagues are already owned by the big networks.

DAZN is landing a few jabs in its overseas fight: In December, it TKO’d long-reigning champ Sky for the right to broadcast Champions League soccer in Germany.

Get the 5-minute news brief keeping 2.5M+ innovators in the loop. Always free. 100% fresh. No bullsh*t.