Why global technology media powerhouse DAZN is running its streaming operations from Leeds

DAZN’s base on the White Rose Office Park has played a major role in transforming the company into the largest digital sports broadcaster in Europe, after adding at least 75 rights to the platform over the past 12 months.

The sports destination platform, which describes itself as the global

home of boxing, is also a market-leader in Italy, Japan, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Spain where it holds top-tier domestic football rights including Bundesliga, LaLiga and Serie A.

None of this expansion would have been possible without DAZN’s workforce in Leeds. DAZN’s CEO, Shay Segev, was full of praise for Yorkshire’s economy and the competitive cost base as he witnessed the Leeds operation being put through its paces in a live match environment

"This is a strategic centre for us,’’ said Mr Segev. “ I personally love competition. Competition keeps you on your toes, in that you need to do better.”

Mr Segev, who was previously CEO of Entain, a FTSE 100 sports betting and gaming company. said: "This is why I want people who work for DAZN to love the company. I left a very successful company and joined DAZN because I saw the ambitions for the company. I want everybody who works with us on this journey to believe in this. It's a great office here." But could this growth be supported by further acquisitions? The acquisition of ELEVEN Sports has, for example, placed DAZN in a leading position in the major football markets of Portugal and Belgium.

Mr Segev added: "M&A (merger and acquisitions) are always part of any growth strategy. Our future depends on our ability to execute organically and then we can just accelerate from there. We will continue to do M&A work when it suits."

Mr Segev describes DAZN as a business that is “swimming with the stream” because it is moving with consumer trends.

He said some of DAZN's competitors are swimming against the stream. "so every year that passes we have a better chance to grow our business and are able to become stronger and other businesses might lose subscribers because they are businesses of the past".

He added: “At some point, it will flip; it could be two years, it could be seven years."

He sees DAZN acting as a trusted partner with major sporting leagues; "everything that we do with every league is partnership rather than transactional”.

He added: "There is the ability to work with them on social content to grow the product and make sure that younger audiences can access it.

"NFL, which is probably the biggest sport in the US, chose DAZN to take their content and grow it outside the US globally. It's a transformational deal for 10 years.

"If you are American, and you live in the US, and you travel, you can watch it in the UK and then fly on to Italy you can watch it there. It's a proposition that allows consistency for consumers. It's a long term proposition that we are doing with other sports; the women's champions league is a good example. So if you're a women's champion league fan wherever you are in the world you can watch the game with DAZN. I do see this as an important way to remove friction for consumers."​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​