DAZN Sells Off Perform Data Division to Focus on Sports Streaming
Could the company use the cash to acquire rights to NFL Sunday Ticket?
According to a report from SVG Group Europe, DAZN has sold their Perform division which is made up of data assets used for sports betting and by broadcasters. Vista Equity Partners funded the transaction and will merge Perform’s properties — Opta, RunningBall and Watch&Bet with Chicago-based STATS.
What won’t be going in the deal is DAZN's global sports streaming service, as well as online properties like Goal.com. By selling off the assets, the company now has the ability to double-down on streaming rights. Earlier this month, DAZN Chairman John Skipper said, “We think we will have a robust and profitable direct-to-consumer business in a pretty quick time frame in the United States.”
In the U.S., the focus has been on Boxing and MMA, where they’ve signed a $1B five-year deal with Golden Boy Boxing to secure Canelo Alvarez’ next 11 fights. “We made a pragmatic and opportunistic decision that boxing is the one sport that isn’t managed overwhelming by NBC, ESPN, CBS because it disappeared into a PPV world.”
When asked what’s next, Skipper seems to be doubling down on boxing in the short-term. But Skipper recognizes that DAZN needs other content and “be a multi-sports aggregator.” The first step in that was the launch of ChangeUp, a nightly live MLB whip-around show hosted by Adnan Virk and HQ Trivia’s Scott Rogowsky.
With NFL Sunday Ticket streaming rights likely up for grabs this offseason, some of the company’s fresh capital could be used to acquire the much desired property. In the Canadian market, DAZN has rights to NFL Sunday Ticket, NFL RedZone, English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Serie A, and LaLiga which is available to subscribers at just $20 a month.