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Wednesday, January 15, 2025

DAZN Brings in Disney Dealmaker

  • DAZN is bringing in former Disney executive Kevin Mayer as Chairman of the Board.
  • Mayer, who oversaw major acquisitions at Disney, will focus on expanding DAZN’s presence in Europe and Asia.
Photos: ByteDance, DAZN/Design: Alex Brooks

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.

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.

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