Not too long to wait

The popular sports streaming company DAZN is getting into the sports betting space. On Wednesday, DAZN revealed a new partnership with betting supplier Pragmatic Group to create DAZN BET. The soft launch date for the offering is in August, at the beginning of the 2022-2023 European soccer season. There will be both real money and free-to-play options.

Pragmatic will provide the sportsbook product and content

The new sports betting operation will have its headquarters in Malta and plans to launch in numerous regulated jurisdictions. Pragmatic will provide the sportsbook product and content through an exclusive multi-year agreement. It will also take responsibility for ongoing betting product development through the licensing agreement that leverages the existing DAZN customer base.

Jumping on a trend

The goal of the upcoming DAZN sports betting offering is to offer an integrated, convenient, and fun experience for casual bettors that they can enjoy alongside DAZN’s live streaming. DAZN emphasized the ongoing trend of recreational in-play wagering.

DAZN CEO Shay Segev believes that there is a strong future in pairing betting and sports media. He said that the new sports betting brand “underscores DAZN’s commitment to revitalise the sports viewing experience by offering a broader spectrum of digital entertainment for fans.”

Speaking about partnering up with DAZN, Pragmatic Solutions chief executive Ashley Lang said: “We know that fans want more integrated, immersive, and interactive experiences, and through our exclusive partnership with DAZN, we can deliver this.”

An experienced team

DAZN’s management team has experience in the gambling space. Shay Segev came on board as the DAZN CEO in January, having formerly been the chief executive of leading UK gambling group Entain. A number of other former Entain executives are also a part of DAZN. Last year, DAZN co-founder James Rushton spoke about how the company was looking at ways to increase revenue through the likes of sports betting, commerce, and fantasy sports.

DAZN has about 15 million subscribers around the world. However, it is currently not profitable, largely due to the billions it has spent on acquiring sports rights. One of its most notable deals was a five-year agreement in 2018 with Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez which was worth at least $365m. At the time, it was the highest-valued contract that a company had with a single athlete.