DAZN Secures Saudi PIF Backed Investment and Partnership

Deal News | Feb 18, 2025 | Zawya

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), through its sports-centric arm SURJ, has acquired a minority stake in DAZN, a UK-based sports and entertainment streaming platform. The acquisition, which comes amid previous denials of negotiation, marks a strategic move to bolster Saudi Arabia's sporting ecosystem. Although financial terms remain undisclosed, the agreement includes the establishment of DAZN as an official streaming and broadcast partner for Saudi sporting events, covering both live and on-demand content. Furthermore, a joint venture, DAZN MENA, will be created to facilitate sports investments within the kingdom, according to a joint statement by the involved companies.

Sectors

Sports and Entertainment
Investment and Finance

Geography

Saudi Arabia – The Public Investment Fund and its sports investment arm SURJ are based in Saudi Arabia.
United Kingdom – DAZN, the target company in the investment, is based in the UK.

Industry

Sports and Entertainment – The article involves a sports and entertainment streaming service, DAZN, and Saudi Arabia's efforts to expand its presence in the sporting ecosystem.
Investment and Finance – The acquisition by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund into DAZN is a notable financial investment move.

Financials

Not disclosed – The financial terms of the deal between Saudi PIF and DAZN have not been disclosed.

Participants

Name	Role	Type	Description
Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF)	Investor	Company	Japan’s Public Investment Fund is the investment arm of the Saudi Arabian government, investing in diverse sectors to drive economic growth.
SURJ	Investor	Company	SURJ is a sports investment arm of Saudi Arabia’s PIF, focusing on expanding the country's footprint in global sports.
DAZN	Target Company	Company	DAZN is a UK-based sports and entertainment streaming service.
Len Blavatnik	Investor	Person	Len Blavatnik is a billionaire backing DAZN.