DAZN Refuses $1.8B Bid to Share Soccer Rights

Less than a year after laying off a number of employees and refusing to pay rights fees for suspended sporting events, DAZN seems to be back on its feet financially.

The streaming company has reportedly declined a $1.83 billion offer from Comcast’s Sky Sports to share Serie A broadcasting rights for the next three years — about $609 million per year. DAZN outbid Sky to land a $2.96 billion deal for the rights in March.

Sky was the exclusive streaming partner of Serie A for nearly 20 years. Its 10-figure offer to DAZN required keeping the DAZN app on its set-top box and satellite service.

DAZN has successfully shifted its business strategy to a more global approach.

• Last week, DAZN announced a five-year, $100 million deal with British boxing producer Matchroom. Sky had previously owned the rights for 27 years.
• In November, it began a partnership with BetMGM for 12 fights over 12 months.
• In August, DAZN agreed to a sub-licensing deal with Discovery to broadcast Bundesliga matches.

While DAZN has taken some of Sky’s rights, the English broadcaster has had a few wins of its own.

• Earlier this week, it announced a four-year deal with Top Rank Boxing, per The Athletic.
• Sky — with the BBC — signed a broadcast deal in March worth more than $11 million with the Football Association’s Women’s Super League to air on free network TV for the first time in history.

DAZN is reportedly interested in Premier League rights and taking the company public.