DAZN ViewLift acquisition: Streaming giant buys US tech firm for team rights push

DAZN Group on Tuesday acquired ViewLift as the global sports streamer targets local media rights held by American franchises.

The purchase gives DAZN proprietary technology to build team-branded streaming services that bypass traditional regional sports networks.

ViewLift’s platform powers direct-to-consumer apps for more than 200 clients including the New York Islanders, NASCAR tracks and college conferences. DAZN has streamed boxing and soccer in 200 countries but holds limited US inventory after exiting a costly NFL Sunday Ticket bid last year.

Financial terms were not disclosed. ViewLift CEO Rick Allen will report to DAZN North America president Walker Jacobs and remain in New York. The 110-person ViewLift staff keeps their jobs, DAZN confirmed.

“Teams want their own Netflix,” Jacobs told reporters on a call. “They don’t want to rent shelf space on someone else’s service.”

Regional sports networks lost 25 million subscribers since 2015 as cable bundles collapsed, according to research firm MoffettNathanson. Diamond Sports Group, which operates Bally Sports channels, filed for bankruptcy protection in March 2023 owing $8.6 billion. Four MLB clubs missed rights-fee payments this season after the company slashed contracts.

ViewLift-built apps charge between $6 and $30 monthly and let clubs sell tickets, merchandise and betting sponsorships inside the same interface. The Islanders generated seven-figure revenue in their first year on the platform, Allen said. DAZN will fold that commerce engine into its existing app and offer white-label versions to any league client.

“We can launch a team’s channel in 90 days,” Allen added. “That used to take broadcasters 18 months.”

DAZN lost $1.3 billion in 2022 after founder Len Blavatnik pumped more than $4 billion into rights deals since 2016. The company axed 500 staff last winter and shuttered operations in Brazil and Spain. Executives now pitch software tools alongside live matches in a bid to reach profitability by 2025.

“We are done buying trophy rights,” co-CEO Shay Segev said in April. “The future is partnership, not over-priced exclusives.”

The ViewLift deal follows DAZN’s 2021 purchase of Texan ticketing company ScoreBig and last year’s alliance with Verizon to preload the DAZN app on Android phones in the US. Each transaction chips away at the same problem: American fans already spend $40 billion on sports content but most cash flows to ESPN, Fox and regional cable networks locked inside dwindling pay-TV bundles.

Small markets face the biggest crunch. The NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans earn roughly $18 million annually from Bally Sports New Orleans, according to league filings. If Diamond rejects its contract in bankruptcy court the team would need a new distribution partner quickly. DAZN is pitching a hybrid model: sell season-long digital passes inside Louisiana while placing still-valuable national games on ESPN or Turner.

“Wealthy franchises in New York or LA can build their own tech,” said media consultant Ed Desser. “Mid-size clubs need help and DAZN is offering a lifeline.”

Investors remain skeptical. DAZN postponed a planned London IPO last year after Credit Suisse valued the firm around $4 billion, half internal projections. Parent company Access Industries injected another $500 million in January to keep programming checks from bouncing.

Competition is fierce. Apple, Amazon and Google all court leagues with deeper balance sheets. The NFL granted YouTube TV exclusive Sunday Ticket rights for $2 billion annually starting this season. MLB and the NHL are shopping national packages this fall with opening bids already above $3 billion combined.

DAZN’s pitch centers on control rather than cash. Clubs keep every advertising dollar inside their app, receive anonymized viewer data and can exit the deal with 12 months notice. Traditional TV contracts lock teams into 10- to 20-year terms and share revenue with regional networks.

“Our platform treats the team as the brand,” Jacobs said. “That resonates with owners tired of handing 50 percent to middlemen.”

Background

DAZN launched in Austria, Germany and Switzerland in 2016 with a monthly subscription under $12 and an ambitious slogan: “Netflix of sports.” Backed by billionaire Blavatnik the service hoovered up rights: English Premier League in Germany, Champions League in Italy, Serie A in Spain. Growth exploded to 20 million subscribers by 2020 but so did losses. The company spent $2 billion on Japanese baseball alone and reportedly paid $400 million for Canelo Álvarez’s 11-fight contract. Investors began questioning the burn rate as pandemic cancellations gutted the calendar.

Regional sports networks enjoyed two decades of steady profit until cord-cutting accelerated. Fox Sports Net channels, later rebranded Bally Sports, once commanded $5 per subscriber per month whether viewers watched games or not. That carriage fee fell below $3 this year as cable households dropped below 75 million. Teams that banked on annual 5 percent escalators suddenly face 20 percent haircuts. MLB responded by producing Friday night games internally on Apple TV+ and selling mid-week contests to NBC’s Peacock. The NBA and NHL expect similar hybrid models when national deals expire in 2025 and 2026.

What’s Next

DAZN must integrate ViewLift before the NFL regular season starts in September when most NBA and NHL clubs reopen rights talks. Executives plan to court the 14 MLB franchises still owed money by Diamond Sports as test cases for full-season local streaming. Any club that jumps would need approval from league commissioners and players unions concerned about regional blackouts and revenue sharing formulas.

The success of DAZN’s US pivot rests on convincing owners that smaller guaranteed checks today beat larger uncertain ones tomorrow. If two mid-market franchises launch profitable DAZN apps by Opening Day 2027 the deal looks prescient. Another year of subscriber losses and stagnant ad sales could force Access Industries to sell the entire platform at a fraction of its investment.