According to the Financial Times, DAZN is in advanced negotiations to acquire Eleven Sports
Streaming platform DAZN has entered an advanced stage of negotiations to acquire rival Eleven Sports. The information was published by the British Financial Times.
According to the publication, DAZN is a way to reach new markets. The streaming service recently entered negotiations to buy British pay-TV giant BT Sport.. However, neither party was able to secure guarantees that would protect the interests of the other, and the deal turned out to be too complicated to complete.
DAZN’s withdrawal has ended The door opened for BT last May to merge its British and Irish sports broadcasts with Warner Bros Discovery. The initial deal was made for £633 million.
Eleven Sports is based in the UK and is controlled by investment fund Aser, which is owned by Andrea Radrizzani, the owner of Leeds himself, who plays in the English Premier League.
Last year, the company acquired sports media company Team Whistle, with the goal of expanding its business in North America. In 2020, it has already acquired the MyCujoo streaming platform.
Currently, among the highlights, Eleven Sports owns the broadcast rights to Formula 1 in Poland, as well as the Champions League and the English Premier League in Portugal.
In the case of DAZN, the company’s portfolio holds national rights to leagues such as LaLiga, Serie A and Bundesliga (football), as well as boxing, the Big3 basketball league and extreme sporting events, thanks to a partnership with Red Bull TV.
It is worth noting that in 2020, the company recorded a loss of 1.3 billion US dollars. However, it agreed to recapitalize US$4.3 billion in February of this year, to settle debts on its accounts.
