Blavatnik strengthens DAZN with major investment amidst rising losses

Deal News | Jan 26, 2025 | EIN

Blavatnik strengthens DAZN with major investment amidst rising losses

Sir Leonard Blavatnik has invested an additional $827 million into DAZN, aiming to position it as a formidable competitor to Netflix. To date, his investments through Access Industries have exceeded $6.7 billion. While DAZN's revenue grew to $2.86 billion in 2023, marking an increase in subscribers and average revenue per user, pre-tax losses also increased to $1.43 billion. CEO Shay Segev has indicated that the company is now profitable in most of its top ten markets, with projected revenues of over $6 billion by 2025. This growth will be supported by acquisitions, including Foxtel for $2.2 billion and rights to the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup for $1 billion. Furthermore, DAZN has secured additional funding of $240 million and $587 million from Access Industries for 2024, amidst its $9.3 billion commitment to sporting rights.

Sectors

  • Streaming Services
  • Sports Media
  • Media and Entertainment

Geography

  • United Kingdom – DAZN is based in London, making the UK a significant geography for the company's operations.
  • United States – Access Industries, the owner of DAZN, is headquartered in New York, indicating its U.S. ties.
  • Australia – DAZN's acquisition of Foxtel, a major pay-TV giant in Australia, highlights the relevance of this geography.

Industry

  • Streaming Services – This industry is relevant as the article discusses DAZN, a streaming service company, and its efforts to compete with other major streaming platforms like Netflix.
  • Sports Media – Sports Media is relevant because DAZN is described as a sports streaming service, indicating its primary focus on broadcasting sports events.
  • Media and Entertainment – The Media and Entertainment industry is relevant due to DAZN's involvement in content creation and media rights acquisitions.

Financials

  • $827 million – Additional investment injected into DAZN by Leonard Blavatnik.
  • $6.7 billion – Total investment in DAZN by Leonard Blavatnik through Access Industries.
  • $2.86 billion – Revenue of DAZN in 2023.
  • $1.43 billion – Pre-tax losses of DAZN in 2023.
  • $2.2 billion – Cost of DAZN's acquisition of Foxtel.
  • $1 billion – Investment in rights to the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup.
  • $240 million – Funding from Access Industries through ordinary and preference shares.
  • $587 million – Additional funding from Access Industries in return for preference shares in 2024.
  • $9.3 billion – DAZN's long-term sports rights commitments.

Participants

NameRoleTypeDescription
Sir Leonard BlavatnikInvestorPersonBillionaire investor who has significantly financed DAZN through his company Access Industries.
DAZNTarget CompanyCompanyA sports streaming service striving to rival Netflix, receiving significant investments from Access Industries.
Access IndustriesOwner/InvestorCompanyPrivate holding company founded by Sir Leonard Blavatnik, owner of DAZN.
Shay SegevCEOPersonChief Executive Officer of DAZN, overseeing the company's strategic growth and financial performance.
FoxtelAcquisition TargetCompanyAn Australian pay-TV company acquired by DAZN.