DAZN wants to enter the world of sports betting
The well-known streaming platform DAZN has announced that it is joining Pragmatic Group (Pragmatic Play) with the aim of launching a sports betting operator that will bear the name DAZN BET. Headquartered in Gibraltar, Pragmatic operates with gambling licenses from the gambling commission of Great Britain and the Maltese gambling authority, two of the most prestigious licenses they have internationally. The streaming platform has stated that the future lies at the confluence of sports media and betting.
What do sports streaming platform DZAN and casino software developer Pragmatic Play have to do with each other? DAZN BET is the answer. ©dawnfu/Pixabay
In January of last year the newly appointed CEO of Entain Shay Segev accepted a dizzying offer from the streaming platform DAZN and he was leaving the British igaming company for the digital sports broadcasting service. Just a few weeks later Entain appointed Jette Nygaard-Andersen as the new executive director, a move that seems to have been quite a hit .
The curious thing about the story is to see now how DAZN under the direction of Segev wants to become the competition of Entain that in New Zealand operates the well-known online bookmaker bwin. Relying on the customer base that it has achieved in recent years operating practically all over the globe, DZAN intends to move to the betting business through DAZN BET , and for this it has reached an agreement with Pragmatic Group, which operates the well-known casino gaming software brand Pragmatic Play .
DAZN BET the new adventure of DZAN and Pragmatic
Agreement it seems closed and DZAN to partner with Pragmatic Group to launch a new product that is sure to create a small earthquake in the sports betting market.
DZAN's plans are ambitious. It would be about bringing together on the same streaming platform the visualization of sports, sports news, social communication networks and betting in order to create a "immersive sports entertainment ecosystem” . For this, a company based in Gibraltar will be created that will be in charge of launching the DZAN BET betting brand to which Pragmatic Group to supply igaming digital platform and content development . Pragmatic is known for its modular application interface (API) for gaming and betting.
The agreement is proposed as the immediate future of streaming and betting . In the words of the CEO of DAZN Segev:
"The convergence of sports media and betting is the fuutro. This partnership brings together the leading sports content company with a technological partner committed to the development of innovative experiences for fans. The agreement underscores DAZN's commitment to revitalizing the sports viewing experience by offering a broader spectrum of digital entertainment to fans.” – Shay Segev , CEO, DAZN, at official press release
Just a month ago, the agreement was announced by which DAZN ceded to Movistar+ (Telefónica) the retransmission rights of all the matches of the Spanish professional football league worth 280 million euros per season . The agreement is for 5 seasons and DZAN will be able to offer 5 La Liga matches on its streaming network. Last year LaLiga had awarded Telefónica and DAZN the broadcasting rights for five years and almost 5 billion euros. As the agreement is not exclusive, both companies will be able to continue negotiating with third parties the sale of these rights, also abroad.
Will DZAN BET be legal in New Zealand?
Needless to say, it remains to be seen how DZAN will combine sports streaming with betting ads and promotions, especially in those regulations such as the Spanish one that have prohibited this confluence. The licenses that Pragmatic holds in Malta and the United Kingdom are not enough to legally operate in New Zealand, so DAZN would have to apply for a license from the DGOJ , a process that takes time. Pending the granting, DAZN BET would remain an illegal operator in our country.
The online betting business: an irresistible temptation
The temptation is not new and Segev's idea is not original either. Last year there were already rumors that pointed out that the American sports broadcasting giant ESPN i would be considering getting into the lucrative business of online sports betting in the United States.
It was nothing more than rumors. But recently, executives from Walt Disney, the company that owns 80% of ESPN, claimed that online sports betting was key to the future of the company. ESPN has launched a betting program which is broadcast on the network's digital and social platforms from Las Vegas in collaboration with Caesars Entertainment. Disney also maintains business with Caesars and also DraftKings, another of the main online betting brands in the United States. The agreement with Caesars includes the exclusive right for ESPN of the information on the odds handled by Caesars.
Looking at what has been seen, events seem to prove DAZN executives right and the future of digital sports broadcasts is inextricably linked to that of betting.
