Once Focused on Combat Sports, DAZN Expands to MLB, NBA Teams
The streamer has quickly amassed a large collection of team rights.
DAZN, the London-based streaming service, is aggressively expanding its reach into professional sports media by securing local rights for 19 teams across the MLB, NBA, NHL, and WNBA. Among these teams are popular clubs like the Knicks and Spurs, as well as smaller-market franchises such as the Grizzlies and Pacers. According to DAZN CEO of growth markets Pete Oliver, the company anticipates to bring more teams on board in the upcoming seasons, particularly for the 2027 baseball season.
DAZN's strategy hinges on appealing to local fan bases, leveraging tribalism to build a strong customer base. The company aims to provide extensive coverage of local games, surpassing traditional cable models in terms of accessibility, particularly for younger fans. Oliver noted that DAZN already holds local rights for several teams, extending from a recent wave of deals in 2026 that included the NFL Sunday Ticket distributor EverPass Media, streaming tech developer ViewLift, and the Gotham Sports partnership involving the YES Network and MSG Networks.
As part of its U.S. expansion, DAZN recently hosted a launch event in New York, featuring appearances by Knicks forward Karl-Anthony Towns and YES Network analyst Joe Girardi. Girardi emphasized the importance of making games more accessible to local fans, especially for iconic teams like the Knicks and Yankees. DAZN is primarily backed by billionaire Len Blavatnik through his private New York holding company, Access Industries.
The company's recent success can be attributed to the decline of regional sports networks and Main Street Sports Group, allowing DAZN to capitalize on U.S. local rights deals with favorable terms.
Written by urgent.news from Front Office Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
