DAZN is expanding its global reach by acquiring Australian pay-TV and streaming company Foxtel for $2.1 billion. According to Front Office Sports, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. will sell Foxtel to DAZN but will also own around 6 percent of DAZN and have a seat on its board. According to Bloomberg, minority Foxtel shareholder Telstra Group Ltd. will also sell and own about 3 percent of DAZN — but will not be offered a board position.
This latest international move from DAZN tracks with its former chairman’s thoughts that the company should be global-focused, rather than trying to leave a footprint in the United States. “The center of gravity of DAZN is better served by being in Europe and in some parts of Asia…” said Kevin Mayer at last year’s SportsPro OTT Summit in New York. “Trying to come to the US and compete against ESPN and TNT, and Apple and Amazon, and all those guys, that seemed like a very difficult thing to do.”
However, that might be exactly what they’re trying to do. DAZN recently acquired global rights to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and could sublet those rights to cable news networks in the United States and abroad. DAZN also now owns Foxtel’s existing Australian broadcasting rights to the Australian Football League until the end of 2031 and the National Rugby League until the end of 2027
While sports like Australian Rules Football and rugby aren’t that popular stateside, they do attract an audience abroad. DAZN could be making a big power play for the Eastern Hemisphere in order to prevent American media standouts like Amazon and Apple from securing a greater foothold overseas.
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