DAZN gets deeper into US sports streaming with EverPass acquisition
Deal sees 32 Equity, RedBird and TKO become shareholders in sports streaming company.
Getty Images
Sports streaming subscription company DAZN has acquired EverPass Media in a deal that marks another major move in its ongoing efforts to establish a foothold in the US market.
Created in 2023 by private equity firm RedBird Capital Partners and 32 Equity, the National Football League’s (NFL) venture capital arm, EverPass distributes live sports to commercial venues such as bars and restaurants.
The company launched with exclusive commercial distribution rights to the NFL’s Sunday Ticket package, which includes every out-of-market regular season game on Sunday afternoons.
Through distribution partnerships with the likes of Apple, Netflix and Paramount+, EverPass also provides commercial premises with live coverage of other premium sports, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), golf’s PGA Tour, Formula One and the Uefa Champions League, helping streaming services gain a presence in public venues that have traditionally relied on linear feeds.
Those distribution rights will now transfer to DAZN, which will rebrand EverPass as DAZN for Business, a new division serving bars, restaurants, hotels and other commercial establishments globally.
In return, RedBird, 32 Equity and TKO – which invested in EverPass in 2024 – will become shareholders in DAZN, marking the latest external investment in the company following last year’s sale of a minority stake reportedly worth US$1 billion to Saudi Arabia’s SURJ Sports Investment.
EverPass chief executive Alex Kaplan will continue to lead the business and take on a larger role within DAZN, which plans to invest in expanding the platform’s capabilities, content offering and geographic reach.
DAZN chief executive Shay Segev said the deal puts the company in “a strong position” to “play an increasingly meaningful role in the US sports market”.
“This is an important step in DAZN’s journey to become a global home of sport,” said Segev. “EverPass Media gives us a proven commercial distribution platform, deep relationships across US venues, and an attractive portfolio of premium rights that perfectly complements our growing US business.
“DAZN can now serve every type of customer in the US – from individual sports fans using the DAZN app to commercial venues looking to provide the best possible viewing experience for their customers.”
The acquisition of EverPass is the latest move in a flurry of US activity for DAZN, which appears to be adopting a new strategy to grow its business in North America.
UK-based DAZN launched in the US in 2018 as part of a US$1 billion joint venture with Matchroom Sport but has not significantly grown its portfolio beyond boxing and more niche global rights.
More recently, though, DAZN has positioned itself as a solution for teams who have been left in limbo by the collapse of Main Street Sports Group (MSSG), the operator of regional sports networks (RSNs) for more than 20 MLB, NBA and National Hockey League (NHL) teams.
As franchises weighed launching their own direct-to-consumer (DTC) platforms for their local broadcasts, DAZN paid a reported US$100 million to acquire streaming technology company ViewLift, which has developed in-house platforms for 15 US major league teams.
Since then, DAZN has struck deals with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers to launch new team-branded subscription services on its platform, while it is also set to become the exclusive DTC home of the New York area MSG Networks and Yes Network RSNs, which show the likes of the New York Yankees, Knicks and Rangers.
This week also saw Monumental Sports Network’s Monumental+ app added to that offering, bringing coverage of the Washington Wizards and the Washington Capitals to DAZN.
By doing so, DAZN has secured live coverage of the US major leagues without participating in expensive national rights auctions and will be hoping that the addition of local broadcasts drives hardcore followers of those teams to its platform.
With the acquisition of EverPass, DAZN becomes a key partner for commercial venues across the US, giving it a greater foothold in the country without directly owning more rights.
The company was keen to stress that the deal builds on the expansion of its DTC offering in the US following recent agreements with to show fights promoted by Top Rank and Premier Boxing Champions (PBC).
However, the launch of DAZN for Business makes clear that the company is charting a different path in the US than it perhaps has in other markets around the world, positioning itself as a key provider of streaming infrastructure for the sports industry in a market where digital distribution is upending traditional broadcast conventions and economics at pace.
Combining richer content, in-depth data and exclusive community benefits, SportsPro+ is your VIP pass into the global sports industry. Discover more here.
