DAZN EverPass Media acquisition secures NFL Sunday Ticket commercial rights

This acquisition provides DAZN with an immediate, high-value footprint in the U.S. market by controlling the distribution of NFL Sunday Ticket to commercial venues. By integrating EverPass Media's IP-based technology, DAZN transitions from a consumer-facing app to a critical infrastructure provider for multi-screen business environments. This move signals a strategic shift toward capturing the 'out-of-home' viewing market, which remains a resilient segment as consumer streaming becomes increasingly fragmented. The involvement of TKO and RedBird suggests a deeper alignment between sports rightsholders and distribution technology. Watch for how DAZN integrates its existing global sports portfolio into the new commercial platform to compete with legacy satellite providers like DirecTV.

DAZN's push into commercial distribution places it in direct competition with DirecTV, which has held the NFL Sunday Ticket commercial rights for decades. DirecTV lost its exclusive grip on Sunday Ticket when the NFL shifted the consumer package to YouTube TV starting in the 2023 season, a deal valued at roughly $2 billion annually over seven years. That transition opened the door for alternative commercial distribution models, and EverPass Media had been building its IP-based venue platform specifically to serve bars, restaurants, and hotels that previously relied on DirecTV's satellite infrastructure. DAZN now inherits those commercial relationships and the underlying technology stack.

The minority investment structure brings notable strategic partners into DAZN's orbit. RedBird Capital Partners, led by Gerry Cardinale, has built a sports portfolio that includes ownership stakes in AC Milan and the Dallas Cowboys, and its participation in DAZN for Business signals a convergence between rights ownership and distribution infrastructure. TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of UFC and WWE formed through a 2023 merger brokered by Endeavor, adds combat sports and entertainment content that could be distributed through commercial venues. Shay Segev, who became DAZN's co-CEO in 2021 after serving as CEO of Entain, has overseen the company's expansion from a pure streaming service into a broader sports media platform, including the launch of DAZN's betting and commerce integrations.

The commercial venue distribution market represents a distinct revenue stream from consumer subscriptions, with per-location pricing that typically runs several thousand dollars annually per establishment. EverPass Media had raised funding from 32 Equity and built partnerships with major hospitality groups before the DAZN acquisition, positioning its IP-based delivery system as a lower-cost alternative to satellite for multi-screen environments. The NFL's commercial rights for Sunday Ticket have historically been among the most lucrative out-of-home sports properties in the U.S., and DAZN's acquisition gives it control over pricing, packaging, and technology for that segment. Alex Kaplan, who led EverPass Media, is expected to head the new DAZN for Business division, bringing relationships with venue operators and hospitality technology vendors into the DAZN ecosystem.