Dazn has signed a “game-changing” five-year deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing to televise fights in the UK and Ireland, marking the latest blow the sports streamer has struck to Comcast-owned Sky.
Under the pact, Dazn will stream 16 fights a year featuring a roster of Matchroom boxers including Conor Benn and Katie Taylor. Heavyweight Anthony Joshua’s fights are not included in the deal, however, given the British athlete has a separate agreement with Sky.
Dazn effectively replaces Sky as the exclusive home of Matchroom fights in the UK and Ireland from July 31. It is the second time this year that the company, which is chaired by former Disney executive Kevin Mayer, has encroached on Sky’s territory after it ended the broadcaster’s stranglehold over Serie A rights in Italy.
Dazn and Matchroom’s agreement builds on an existing relationship between the two companies, which have previously partnered in the U.
Under the pact, Dazn will stream 16 fights a year featuring a roster of Matchroom boxers including Conor Benn and Katie Taylor. Heavyweight Anthony Joshua’s fights are not included in the deal, however, given the British athlete has a separate agreement with Sky.
Dazn effectively replaces Sky as the exclusive home of Matchroom fights in the UK and Ireland from July 31. It is the second time this year that the company, which is chaired by former Disney executive Kevin Mayer, has encroached on Sky’s territory after it ended the broadcaster’s stranglehold over Serie A rights in Italy.
Dazn and Matchroom’s agreement builds on an existing relationship between the two companies, which have previously partnered in the U.
- 6/3/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
The multibillion-dollar market for sports broadcasting rights is wreaking havoc in Europe, where soccer teams are suffering heavy losses due to pandemic-shuttered stadiums as new media players enter the field.
Rapidly abandoned plans by 12 top European teams to form a lucrative breakaway soccer Super League in late April sparked pandemonium among millions of fans, who saw it as an elitist existential threat to the sport itself, prompting U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron to step in.
At around the same time in Italy, billionaire Leonard Blavatnik’s live sports streaming service Dazn, with backing from local telco streamer Telecom Italia, plunked down more than $1 billion per season for a three-year contract for the bulk of Italian Serie A soccer rights, displacing Comcast-owned pay TV operator Sky.
A watershed moment for sports broadcasting, the deal marked the first time a streamer has nabbed exclusive rights...
Rapidly abandoned plans by 12 top European teams to form a lucrative breakaway soccer Super League in late April sparked pandemonium among millions of fans, who saw it as an elitist existential threat to the sport itself, prompting U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron to step in.
At around the same time in Italy, billionaire Leonard Blavatnik’s live sports streaming service Dazn, with backing from local telco streamer Telecom Italia, plunked down more than $1 billion per season for a three-year contract for the bulk of Italian Serie A soccer rights, displacing Comcast-owned pay TV operator Sky.
A watershed moment for sports broadcasting, the deal marked the first time a streamer has nabbed exclusive rights...
- 5/8/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli, Elsa Keslassy and Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Kevin Mayer, whose long tenure at Disney culminated in the successful launch of Disney+, is joining sports streaming outfit Dazn as chairman.
He replaces former colleague John Skipper, the longtime former ESPN executive who steered Dazn through launches in the U.S. and other global territories. Backed by billionaire Len Blavatnik, Dazn specializes in boxing and soccer, but also controls rights to several other sports in various territories.
Given its resources, the service has been considered a candidate to make a play for more high-end sports rights. The value of those rights has declined in some international markets, making them attractive, and is becoming unwieldy for traditional U.S. media companies. In keeping with its new mission to expand to 200 countries, a plan first reported by Deadline last fall, the emphasis for Dazn is expected to remain outside the U.S. in the near term.
Skipper and ex-espn host Dan Le Batard...
He replaces former colleague John Skipper, the longtime former ESPN executive who steered Dazn through launches in the U.S. and other global territories. Backed by billionaire Len Blavatnik, Dazn specializes in boxing and soccer, but also controls rights to several other sports in various territories.
Given its resources, the service has been considered a candidate to make a play for more high-end sports rights. The value of those rights has declined in some international markets, making them attractive, and is becoming unwieldy for traditional U.S. media companies. In keeping with its new mission to expand to 200 countries, a plan first reported by Deadline last fall, the emphasis for Dazn is expected to remain outside the U.S. in the near term.
Skipper and ex-espn host Dan Le Batard...
- 3/3/2021
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Former high-ranking Disney executive and TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer has been named chairman of the board at sports streaming service Dazn.
Mayer effectively replaces John Skipper, though Skipper will remain on Dazn’s board of directors and serve as a “strategic adviser.” Mayer was recently the CEO of TikTok before resigning in August. He was previously chairman of direct-to-consumer and international operations at Disney. In addition to running Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ and Hotstar, Mayer oversaw the company’s global ad, content and channels sales.
Prior to that extremely important role, he had a different extremely important role: As Disney’s chief strategy officer, Mayer led the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, 21st Century Fox and BamTech.
The Mayer appointment comes as no surprise — he joined Dazn’s parent company as a senior adviser in November.
Skipper, the former head honcho at ESPN who joined Dazn Group in 2018, stepped down from...
Mayer effectively replaces John Skipper, though Skipper will remain on Dazn’s board of directors and serve as a “strategic adviser.” Mayer was recently the CEO of TikTok before resigning in August. He was previously chairman of direct-to-consumer and international operations at Disney. In addition to running Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ and Hotstar, Mayer oversaw the company’s global ad, content and channels sales.
Prior to that extremely important role, he had a different extremely important role: As Disney’s chief strategy officer, Mayer led the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, 21st Century Fox and BamTech.
The Mayer appointment comes as no surprise — he joined Dazn’s parent company as a senior adviser in November.
Skipper, the former head honcho at ESPN who joined Dazn Group in 2018, stepped down from...
- 3/3/2021
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Dazn Group has announced a pair of co-ceos, Shay Segev and James Rushton.
Rushton had been Dazn’s acting CEO since June 2020. Prior to that, he was the company’s chief revenue officer.
Segev comes over from sports betting and gaming company Entain, which also has a tech-centric focus.
“This is an important moment for Dazn Group as we deepen our leadership team and ready the organization for its next phase of growth,” John Skipper, Dazn Group executive chairman, said in a statement on Monday. “James has displayed tremendous leadership, navigating incredible challenges and achieving terrific results which have made us a stronger and more focused company.
“In Shay, we’re adding depth and fresh expertise to the team. He is recognized as one of the leading figures in online gaming and brings vast technology and operations experience to the role as well as an impressive track record in digital transformation.
Rushton had been Dazn’s acting CEO since June 2020. Prior to that, he was the company’s chief revenue officer.
Segev comes over from sports betting and gaming company Entain, which also has a tech-centric focus.
“This is an important moment for Dazn Group as we deepen our leadership team and ready the organization for its next phase of growth,” John Skipper, Dazn Group executive chairman, said in a statement on Monday. “James has displayed tremendous leadership, navigating incredible challenges and achieving terrific results which have made us a stronger and more focused company.
“In Shay, we’re adding depth and fresh expertise to the team. He is recognized as one of the leading figures in online gaming and brings vast technology and operations experience to the role as well as an impressive track record in digital transformation.
- 1/11/2021
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Now TV Hires Former Universal Exec
Now TV has hired former Universal Pictures International and TWC exec Jamie Schwartz as Director of Brand, Marketing and Merchandising. He will report into Marina Storti, Managing Director of Now TV, and will be responsible for core brand development and guardianship, marketing strategy and campaigns, media planning, as well as PR, social, editorial and in-product merchandising. Schwartz was most recently EVP of Marketing for Focus Features and before that worked at TWC and Momentum.
Cast Set For Netflix & Dr’s Borgen
In April Netflix and Dr, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, announced that the hit series Borgen was returning, reuniting creator Adam Price with lead actresses Sidse Babett Knudsen (Birgitte Nyborg) and Birgitte Hjort Sørensen (Katrine Fønsmark). Today, additional cast was announced, including Mikkel Boe Følsgaard and Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen, along with Özlem Saglanmak, Simon Bennebjerg, Johanne Louise Schmidt and Magnus Millang. Returning from the...
Now TV has hired former Universal Pictures International and TWC exec Jamie Schwartz as Director of Brand, Marketing and Merchandising. He will report into Marina Storti, Managing Director of Now TV, and will be responsible for core brand development and guardianship, marketing strategy and campaigns, media planning, as well as PR, social, editorial and in-product merchandising. Schwartz was most recently EVP of Marketing for Focus Features and before that worked at TWC and Momentum.
Cast Set For Netflix & Dr’s Borgen
In April Netflix and Dr, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, announced that the hit series Borgen was returning, reuniting creator Adam Price with lead actresses Sidse Babett Knudsen (Birgitte Nyborg) and Birgitte Hjort Sørensen (Katrine Fønsmark). Today, additional cast was announced, including Mikkel Boe Følsgaard and Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen, along with Özlem Saglanmak, Simon Bennebjerg, Johanne Louise Schmidt and Magnus Millang. Returning from the...
- 1/11/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman and Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Gerard Schurmann, whose 1960s film scores included “The Bedford Incident” and “Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow” but who also composed extensively for the concert hall, died March 24 at his home in the Hollywood Hills. He was 96 and had recently been in declining health.
Schurmann’s death was announced by his music publisher, Novello & Co. Ltd., in London. Said James Rushton, head of Novello’s Wise Music Group: “Gerard will be much missed – a man and musician of the highest caliber, who expressed himself, whether through his music or in conversation, with the firmest conviction. He understood so very well about writing for the orchestra, and for instruments generally, but unusually knew how to employ the orchestra both in the concert hall and also for film. He wrote for both with such facility.”
The composer’s death came just a few months after Chandos released a collection of newly recorded suites from his film work,...
Schurmann’s death was announced by his music publisher, Novello & Co. Ltd., in London. Said James Rushton, head of Novello’s Wise Music Group: “Gerard will be much missed – a man and musician of the highest caliber, who expressed himself, whether through his music or in conversation, with the firmest conviction. He understood so very well about writing for the orchestra, and for instruments generally, but unusually knew how to employ the orchestra both in the concert hall and also for film. He wrote for both with such facility.”
The composer’s death came just a few months after Chandos released a collection of newly recorded suites from his film work,...
- 3/30/2020
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.