DAZN is said to be in “advanced talks” to acquire Eleven Sports, the streaming company founded by Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani.
It would be the latest move by the sports streaming company owned by billionaire Len Blavatnik to expand its content offering and move into new markets. Earlier this year, it was hoping to complete a £600m deal to buy BT Sport, a deal which fell through, with DAZN describing it as uneconomical. BT Sports went on to sign a joint venture with Discovery.
UK-based Eleven Sports describes itself as the world’s largest sport and entertainment platform. It holds more than 250 regional and 400 global rights deals, with 4bn monthly views.
Founded by Radrizzani in 2015, it also owns NEO Studios, which makes documentaries and short-form content. It acquired Team Whistle in 2021, the addition of the New York-based digital marketing, content creation and talent marketing firm took Eleven’s total group revenues to in excess of $300m.
The sports streaming market is becoming increasingly competitive, with the traditional players now being joined by Amazon and Apple. Amazon has just signed an 11 year, $1bn per year deal with the NFL. While Apple has just paid $85m to stream 2 MLB games a week.
It means companies like DAZN, which has a significant base in Leeds already, are seeking a foothold in more sports and global markets.
Neither party is commenting on the report, which first appeared in the Financial Times.
