I have been beating the drum for DAZN here on Scorum ever since I arrived. As I have detailed in a previous post, the sports streaming service has been gaining a lot of traction in the sports entertainment world. I have been a loyal customer now for just over 15 months now and the service continues to get better all the time. My need for DAZN started with seeking out a way to watch NFL football and getting rid of my cable. It didn't take long for me to see the other great potentials. This week, DAZN made a big move to become even bigger here in Canada.
This week the DAZN empire got even bigger with the addition of the English Premier League. Rumour has it that DAZN has negotiated the broadcasting rights for all EPL games in Canada. This is a major shift in soccer Broadcasting in Canada where TSN and Sportsnet have long held control of these rights. When it comes to sports broadcasting in Canada, both TSN and Sportsnet have had a stranglehold on the market. If you are going to watch sports on cable it will be through one of those two avenues. CBC also holds a large amount of the Canadian sports market share as well. They have significant broadcasting rights with the NHL and the Olympics.
The acquisition of the rights to broadcast the EPL in Canada is just another notch in what is becoming a very long belt for DAZN. The sports streaming company based out of England made its big move into North America last year by snagging up the rights to show the NFL in Canada. This was a huge deal that brought DAZn into the mainstream streaming discussion. This is what got me onboard but as I have said before, there are many other sports to watch. What has been impressive is how relentless they are in bringing new sports and leagues into the fold.
Their biggest plays this year have been in the world of soccer. I started to notice is over the summer but paid little attention since I have never considered myself a big soccer fan. Well, there has been a huge sift in my appreciation for the sport of soccer and with that a joy with the growth that DAZN has and is still achieving. Just in August, DAZN was able to secure the rights to show UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. They already have the right to most soccer leagues through the UK but are now setting sights on overseas markets. Not only are the acquiring big deals, but they are also getting huge names behind them as well. Christiano Ronaldo became the ambassador for DAZN around the same time they secured the UEFA deals.
When I first signed up for DAZN, the plan was to take advantage of the great football coverage and then put my subscription on hold during the NFL's offseason. That will not be the case this year. My sports interests have broadened over the past month since the release of Bet Scorum. As I mentioned in a post a few weeks ago, being able to bet on soccer through Bet Scorum has piqued my interest in the sport and increased my engagement. For the first time, I was watching soccer games outside of the World Cup or European Cup matches. I was watching club games from a variety of leagues with a keen interest on who was winning. I am a sports fan that gets very engaged in the sports I watch. It becomes more than who is winning and losing. I have been taking interest in the teams and the players as well.
I never thought I would take on such a keen interest in soccer. I have learned that there is a long history to many of these leagues and teams and the passion for the game runs deep. Fans are extremely knowledgeable about the game and its players. There is a sense of history to the game that has created a solid foundation for the sport. Fans are not only passionate but they are also very loyal. I have yet to choose a favourite team or player but I am sure in time I will develop a rooting interest in a specific club. My guess is that it will come in a moment where I have made a wager that comes through on some dramatic moment in a game. It is a normal way for this type of relationship to start. There is a reason that soccer is statistically the most popular sport in the world. North America has been dominated by the big four professional sports for a long time but slowly, soccer is building a bigger following on this side of the pond. Deals like this one with DAZN will only work to increase that market share and bring on more fans.
At this point, it appears that the sky is the limit for DAZN. They are quickly becoming the NETFLIX of the sports streaming world and customer acquisition is on the rise. I can only wonder what will be next. They already have the rights to all four major North American sports in Europe and they are starting to put a dent in the big broadcaster armor here in Canada and the US. As a Canadian, I wonder if they will ever be able to get a share of the NHL broadcasting rights here. My first thought would be, not a chance but with the determination that the company is showing and the fact that they continue to take control of big broadcasting rights, who know. Anything is possible.
I personally hope they continue to expand and are able to include some NHL. We are able to watch the KHL here on DAZN but the NHL would really put them over the top here in Canada. I love that they have acquired the rights to all Bellator MMA events and are promoting more boxing events all the time. It is about time that someone stepped up to provide sports viewing at a reasonable price. Cable companies have had a stranglehold on the market for way too long and this has meant that fans pay through the nose for the content they want. Why should sports fans have to pay for a huge cable package loaded with tons of channels they don't want just to get the sports television they are looking for. DAZN is putting an end to this and the bigger cable companies better take stock soon. Fans are looking for something better and DAZN is willing to provide it.
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