Sportcal

Daily Newsletter

14 August 2023

Daily Newsletter

DAZN launches in France with Canal Plus tie-up, secures Ligue 1 content

France will be DAZN’s seventh key European market in which it has a domestic presence.

DAZN, the global sports streaming platform, has launched in France through an exclusive distribution partnership with pay-television giant Canal Plus.

Through the tie-up, DAZN will have access to matches from French soccer’s top-tier Ligue 1 via the Canal Plus Ligue 1 channel.

Users can watch the top two matches per week throughout the season without having to subscribe to any other service.

Additional content will include American football’s NFL, with customers able to add the NFL Game Pass service to their subscription package.

Customers in France will also be able to access DAZN via app purchases on mobiles, Smart TVs, and other devices. The DAZN app will be available within the myCanal service over time, and the streaming service will be announcing other local distribution deals “in due course.”

DAZN is additionally launching a linear channel, DAZN 1, which will be bundled with Canal Plus and will provide access to content such as the UEFA Women’s Champions League, the Belgian Pro League, and boxing.

Canal Plus will deliver a “significant” marketing partnership to drive awareness of DAZN, its content, products, and services.

France will be DAZN’s seventh key European market in which it has a domestic presence, and 11th globally. The platform claims to have a total user base of 60 million.

Shay Segev, DAZN Group chief executive, said: “DAZN is incredibly excited to launch in France, especially being able to bring Ligue 1 matches via Canal Plus Ligue 1 directly to our customers. The French market is one we have been looking at for a while as we believe there is huge potential for DAZN’s content, products, and services in such a well-developed media and digital economy.

"This is the beginning of a long-term relationship with French sports fans, as we look to build the ultimate sports entertainment platform, and secure more distribution deals.”

Last month (July), DAZN increased its global footprint by launching its service in Belgium, Portugal, and Taiwan after its acquisition of Eleven Sports in February.

In addition to its 10 core markets, DAZN is available in over 230 territories.

Image: Julian Finney/Getty Images

AI in sports mainly focuses on employing machine learning and computer vision technologies

The sports industry’s adoption of AI will focus on computer vision (CV) and machine learning (ML). Successful applications of ML have helped the decision-makers at sports companies, broadcasters, and leagues find underlying trends in vast datasets. This analysis informs their strategy, on and off the pitch. CV is mainly used in training, officiating, performance analysis, and injury prevention. Many teams using this technology have reported a decline in lost days due to injury. There is untapped potential for generative AI in sports.