DAZN Brings in Disney Dealmaker

DAZN signaled its plans for expansion by bringing in former Disney executive and TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer as Chairman of the Board.

Mayer, who oversaw the acquisitions of Pixar, LucasFilm, and Marvel Studios at Disney, has his eyes on growing DAZN’s presence in Europe and Asia.

“Since I began working with [DAZN parent company] Access Industries last year, I’ve been impressed with DAZN’s ambitions and ability to quickly grow from a new entrant to an important player in key markets throughout the world,” Mayer said.

The sports streamer now has a presence in over 200 countries and has recently made a push in the European soccer market.

• DAZN appears to be the frontrunner to acquire Serie A’s broadcast rights.
• In August, DAZN agreed to a new sublicensing deal with Discovery to broadcast Bundesliga matches.

Mayer said he was drawn to DAZN because he believes that streaming is the future of sports media. 

“I think that’s where everything is ultimately headed,” he said.

Mayer’s predecessor, John Skipper, will remain on the board but turn most of his attention to Meadowlark Media, a politically progressive sports media company he is launching with former ESPN personality Dan LeBatard. DAZN intends to invest in and collaborate with Meadowlark on original programming projects.