DAZN CEO Shay Segev announced plans to leverage recent acquisitions of ViewLift and Everpass Media to expand the company's presence in the US market. The strategy focuses on using local sports rights and technical infrastructure as a foundation to negotiate future national and global broadcasting rights.
DAZN is positioning itself as the primary technical and distribution alternative for leagues facing the collapse of the regional sports network model. By integrating ViewLift’s DTC capabilities with Everpass Media’s commercial reach, the company is building a full-stack infrastructure that makes it a viable bidder for upcoming NHL and MLB national packages. This move signals a shift from DAZN being a niche combat sports provider to a central player in the fragmented US domestic market. As pay-TV households continue to decline, the industry should watch for whether DAZN can consolidate these local team relationships into a unified national streaming offering during the next NHL rights cycle.
DAZN's rapid accumulation of local sports rights has given it one of the largest regional portfolios in US streaming. The company's rights footprint now spans 19 NBA, WNBA, NHL, and MLB teams with direct deals, growing beyond 30 when counting ViewLift white-label clients including Chicago Sports Network's Blackhawks, Bulls, and White Sox, NESN's Bruins and Red Sox, and Space City Home Network's Astros and Rockets. The collapse of Main Street Sports and its FanDuel Sports Network RSNs earlier in 2026 accelerated DAZN's entry, as teams scrambled for distribution alternatives.
DAZN's commercial strategy centers on converting local relationships into national rights bids. CEO Pete Oliver told Sports Media Watch that the company will "absolutely" look at national rights deals and described building from the ground up with regional rights as the path to a national product. The NBA's planned centralized streaming hub for the 2027-28 season is a near-term target, with YouTube, Amazon, and ESPN also showing interest in hosting the aggregated local broadcast platform. DAZN's team deals include opt-outs allowing franchises to join the hub when it launches.
The foundation for DAZN's US expansion was laid in July 2026 when the company secured exclusive digital rights to MSG and YES Networks, covering the Knicks, Rangers, Islanders, Devils, Sabres, Yankees, and Nets. That deal effectively replaced the Gotham Sports direct-to-consumer app and was described as a precursor to the seven additional NBA team agreements that followed. DAZN is offering standalone per-team subscriptions without requiring a broader platform subscription, with pricing such as $19.99 per month for the Cavaliers standard tier, and plans to sublicense select simulcast rights to free over-the-air channels for its fully exclusive partners.
Add StreamingMeme as a preferred source on Google to see more of our streaming news at the top of your Search results.
Add as preferred source
