Sport streaming platform DAZN has agreed to buy Eleven Group's global sports media businesses to bolster its portfolio of rights, including the top soccer leagues in Portugal and Belgium. Eleven Group’s businesses will also complement DAZN’s existing positions in Italy, DACH and Spain, where the company holds top tier domestic football rights. Eleven also has a presence in Taiwan and other Southeast Asian markets, giving DAZN a greater foothold in the region where it has a business in Japan.
This geographical expansion gives DAZN access to new audiences as it builds out its global platform, with the goal to become a one-stop shop for sports fan. At the same time, the acquisition of Team Whistle, the Eleven-owned media business, will enable DAZN to reach younger audiences, diversify and expand its fan engagement capabilities, and maximize the value of its rights portfolio. Team Whistle is ranked within the top ten US media sports properties on ComScore with over 700 million followers across its social media channels, and a growing distribution network that generates around five billion views per month across social platforms.
The acquisition also cements DAZN as a global home of football through the integration of elevensports.com and the 40.000 games it streams each year. Through a strategic relationship, Eleven plays a key role in FIFA’s OTT service FIFA+, supporting the production, delivery, and distribution of live games from over 90 FIFA Member Associations. Moreover, combined, the companies will create the world’s biggest portfolio of women’s football content.
"The acquisition adds scale to our business. It is a big step forward in our mission to be the leading global sports platform. I have a great deal of respect for what Andrea, Marc and the team have achieved and look forward to working with them as we further expand our ambitions. Together we form the strongest and most credible management team in the sector. DAZN has invested in building a revolutionary digital sports platform, where fans can enjoy the full range of interactive sport entertainment. We are looking forward to expanding these capabilities to new markets as well as leveraging Eleven’s capabilities in DAZN,” said Shay Segev, CEO of DAZN Group.
Marc Watson, CEO of Eleven Group, added: “We see DAZN as the future of digital sports broadcasting and the ideal home for Eleven. Sport is global entertainment and joining with DAZN will be transformative, allowing us to access greater economies of scale and a global platform for our talented team. We couldn't be more excited about this deal, and I’m really looking forward to working with Shay and the team at DAZN."
Upon completion of the deal, Andrea Radrizzani, the founder of Eleven, will join DAZN’s board as an executive director, and will support the DAZN Group’s business development. The deal is subject to anti-trust review. As such, the completion date remains unknown.