DAZN, the so-called Netflix of sports, is doubling down on its global footprint. And boxing will be the focus.
The subscription streaming app announced Monday that it will expand its English-language service centered on boxing to 200 countries and territories from the nine in which it currently operates.
The inaugural event in the rollout will feature Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez in his annual Cinco de Mayo Weekend appearance on May 2. Alvarez’s opponent has not been confirmed, but 168-pound titleholder Billy Joe Saunders appears to be the front runner.
“Beginning this spring, most of the world will have access to DAZN and its unmatched schedule of boxing events,” said DAZN’s 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.”
The global service will include DAZN’s growing archive of classic fights, many of which feature top names like Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather. New subscribers will also gain access to DAZN’s original shoulder programming, like the Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg-produced “40 Days,“ a documentary series that takes a look at fighters’ training regime, and the Sylvester Stallone-produced “One Night,” which chronicles the sport’s most historic fights.
DAZN, which is backed by billionaire Len Blavatnik, first launched in 2016 in Japan, Germany, Austria and Switzerland with a focus on international soccer. Two years later it entered the United States behind a lucrative 8-year, billon-dollar partnership with British promoter Eddie Hearn in a bold attempt to corner the boxing market. It has not been shy about its ambitions, paying top dollar to retain exclusive rights to some of the best fighters in the world, including Gennadiy Golovkin, Anthony Joshua and Alvarez, whom it signed to a five-year, $365 million deal in 2018.
“Since our launch in 2016, we’ve seen an encouraging level of interest around our key events from both international fans and potential partners, which highlighted the opportunity to capitalize on our existing rights portfolio within boxing to fuel our expansion,” said DAZN Executive Vice President Joseph Markowski, who will oversee the global service. “Establishing DAZN as the global home of fight sports is just the first step, and we couldn’t think of a better attraction for our inaugural event than Canelo’s traditional Cinco de Mayo Weekend fight.”
DAZN’s global plans will have particularly dramatic ramifications for the boxing landscape in the U.K., where the company is headquartered but has never operated. Heavyweight stars Tyson Fury and Joshua have exclusive deals with traditional networks BT Sport and Sky Sport, respectively.
According to the DailyMail, DAZN is planning to charge a £4.99 ($6.39) monthly subscription in the U.K. and aims to bid heavily for the rights to stream the third match between Fury and Deontay Wilder tentatively scheduled for July in Las Vegas.
Last November, it was reported that DAZN was up to nearly 8 million subscribers worldwide.
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