DAZN is accelerating its expansion across the United States through a dual strategy of scaling its American footprint and welcoming major sports entities into its ownership structure. The sports streaming platform has secured a deal to acquire EverPass Media, a commercial distribution network founded in 2023 by RedBird Capital Partners and 32 Equity, the strategic investment arm of the NFL. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
New Minority Shareholders Join the Platform
Through the acquisition of EverPass Media, RedBird Capital Partners, 32 Equity, and TKO Group Holdings will become minority shareholders in DAZN. The move mirrors previous expansion strategies employed by the platform, such as its acquisition of Australian company Foxtel, which previously brought in capital from Murdoch’s News Corp and Telstra. In 2025, Surj Sports Investment—a vehicle backed by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF—also injected one billion dollars into the platform.
Despite the influx of new industrial and financial partners, control of DAZN remains firmly held by billionaire Leonard Blavatnik through Access Industries. Company leadership maintains the possibility of a future stock market listing on the horizon as the platform prepares for its next phase of growth.
Entering the US Commercial B2B Market
EverPass Media functions primarily as an industrial investment, having built a specialized platform in the United States to stream live sports to pubs, restaurants, hotels, and other commercial venues. Its portfolio features exclusive commercial distribution rights for the NFL Sunday Ticket, alongside coverage of the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, Formula 1, and collegiate sports, supported by partnerships with Peacock, Netflix, Paramount, and Apple.
Following the acquisition, EverPass will be rebranded as DAZN for Business. Alex Kaplan will continue to lead the commercial operation while taking on broader responsibilities within the wider DAZN group.
“EverPass Media offers us a tried-and-tested commercial distribution platform, well-established relationships with US commercial venues and an attractive portfolio of premium rights,” DAZN CEO Shay Segev explained. Until now, DAZN has been recognized in the United States largely for soccer and combat sports. The latest acquisition positions the company to distribute full-spectrum sports content to viewers at home and patrons in commercial venues alike.
RedBird’s Strategic Bet on Streaming Growth
The transformation explains why RedBird Capital Partners chose to retain a direct stake in the platform rather than exit entirely. Gerry Cardinale, founder and managing partner of RedBird, noted that EverPass provides a streaming setup engineered specifically for commercial markets that will lay the foundation for DAZN’s broader expansion across the United States.
RedBird—which is concurrently involved on the Paramount Skydance side in the ongoing acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery—is betting heavily on the long-term scaling of DAZN’s business model. For DAZN, the transaction delivers a double advantage: expanded industrial scale and a strengthened roster of institutional partners in its capital structure.
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