DAZN Halting Payments to Sports Leagues During Pandemic
People all over the world are paying their bills during the coronavirus pandemic regardless of any loss of income. One sports media company is taking a different road. According to Sports Business Journal reporter John Ourand, DAZN “will not pay rights fees for games that have been suspended or canceled” during the COVID-19 outbreak.
DAZN has started telling sports leagues that it will not pay rights fees for games that have been suspended or cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, sources say. DAZN is believed to be the first media company to make such a decision. Story coming in SBD.
— John Ourand (@Ourand_Puck) March 31, 2020
DAZN CEO Simon Denyer called the current situation “the biggest disaster to hit the sports world in 75 years and the biggest challenge our business has ever faced.”
Per Ourand’s article, they are believed to be the first company to withhold rights fees.
As a new player on the scene, this could hurt their relationship with leagues once things get back to normal. DAZN, a subscription service, has only emerged as a real player in recent years. They currently offer MLB highlights and content in the states, as well as combat sports. In Canada, DAZN has a heap of solid offerings, including NFL Sunday Ticket and MLB Network.