SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
As SBC Summit Barcelona is getting closer, Shay Segev, DAZN Group’s CEO and one of the keynote speakers of the global conference and trade show shared DAZN’s ambitions beyond broadcasting and explained why the company is the one-stop shop for sports fans across the globe.
SBC: What is DAZN’s strategy when it comes to competitors? How do you go against streaming giants such as Amazon, Apple, and Disney?
Shay Segev: DAZN is currently the only pure-play, global, digital live sports streaming and entertainment business. We have spent the last five years investing in our technology and building a global platform that allows us to deliver consistent quality of live sporting events to millions of customers across the globe, in multiple languages, concurrently. 
This is no mean feat. There are unique challenges with live production and unique challenges with doing something on a global scale. As a result of our investment, we are well ahead of the competition in this regard. None of the companies you referred to have the same ambitions – they are adding sporting content to their existing VOD service.
Moreover, DAZN’s ambitions do not stop at broadcasting; we are building a one-stop-shop with everything a sports fan wants – from news, and chat, to gaming and eCommerce. We do not see these companies as real competitors.
SBC: DAZN is mostly known in the UK for its boxing content — what other sports would you like to acquire rights to in order to further boost DAZN’s profile?
SS: We are actually a market-leading sports broadcaster in Italy, Spain, Germany and Japan, where we hold the top-tier domestic football rights. It’s amazing how few people in the UK know this.
But you’re right; in the UK, we are best known for our boxing schedule, which is hardly surprising given the incredible lineup of fights on DAZN. In the next two months, we’ve got the ‘next generation’ fight between the sons of boxing titans Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn – Chris Eubank junior and Connor Benn – which sold out at the O2 in less than an hour, so it’ll be a massive one for UK boxing fans on our screens. In the US, Canelo is fighting arch-rival GGG for the third time and – again – the hype around this has been phenomenal.
And of course, we have a long-term partnership with Anthony Joshua, who must be the most popular British boxer.
But beyond boxing, we have some fantastic sporting content on our global platform – everything from skateboarding, windsurfing, esports, MMA and wrestling, DAZN is the global home of sport – all sport, not just top league mainstream content.
It is our mission to give passionate international fanbases the broadest library of content to enjoy wherever in the world they live. That’s what sets us apart from other operators.
SBC: Let’s talk about DAZN BET. How can DAZN’s background in sports streaming benefit its entry into the betting space?
SS: We know that people who watch sports like to bet on sports. It’s as simple as that. We have millions of engaged customers worldwide and that is an existing and captive audience. Being an app-based OTT service, there is incredible potential to integrate the two products.
SBC: How will DAZN BET stand out from the crowd in the highly competitive UK betting market?
SS: I think it’s important to emphasise that betting is just one of the many additional, complementary services we are adding to our entertainment platform.
So, unlike the established gambling companies, when customers join DAZN, we do not expect them to bet. We are not setting out to build the biggest, most competitive betting offering. Quite the opposite. If you are a high-stakes, regular gambler, DAZN is probably not the service for you.
We are not taking a carbon copy of a traditional betting company and bringing it into our entertainment ecosystem. As with everything we do at DAZN, we are making the experience better than the sum of its parts.
What do I mean by this? DAZN BET will not compete with establishing gambling companies – instead we are working towards a frictionless experience in which the customer not only has the convenience of single sign-on and wallet but – more excitingly – interaction and integration between the viewing experience and the betting experience.
Our innovation teams are working on some cool features, so I am not going to steal their thunder before they are ready to talk about it, but – trust me – there is some great stuff in the pipeline.
SBC: Are there any UK consumer trends DAZN Bet can benefit from with its entertainment-oriented approach to betting?
SS: Absolutely. We know that today’s consumers want a richer, more integrated and interactive entertainment experience.
When people watch sports, they search for information on one device, message their friends on another, bet, buy merchandise, play games, take quizzes.
This is a much more multi-faceted experience than I had when growing up. DAZN is bringing all these touchpoints onto a single platform – the DAZN hub. It’s a one-stop shop. It’s what fans want and it’s what we are delivering.
SBC: Does DAZN have any plans for further development of its UK sports broadcasting operations after missing out on a potential BT Sport takeover?
SS: The UK is our home market and we will always consider opportunities that help us further our strategy. Beyond that, I can’t comment.
SBC: Do you have any post-regulatory concerns with the Gambling Act review apparently due? Have you made any preparations for the impact this could have on DAZN BET’s rollout?
SS: The great thing about the DAZN BET model is that it is in line with the regulatory trajectory. Our proposition is based on recreational, in-play micro betting. We think it’s ‘futureproof,’ and other operators are scrambling to try and get into that space.
I’ve always liked to see there is strong competition because it means you’re getting it right – swimming with the stream.
SBC: Has your experience at Entain provided a solid bedrock for overseeing DAZN’s sports betting ambitions?
SS: Certainly. Digital transformation was what built Entain into the market-leading FTSE 100 business it is today and technology is the heart of DAZN.
By background, I am a tech guy and have built a career on being the person who can translate complex tech into a robust business, and that’s precisely what I am doing with DAZN.
SBC: What are you most looking forward to ahead of the SBC Summit Barcelona?
SS: My keynote speech… I’ve just got to think about what I’m going to say!
Innovation will be a core focus of the event, which will see 6,000 delegates enjoy a 12-track conference covering all industry developments, topics and disruptions, featuring 200 companies showcasing their latest innovations, and a programme of spectacular evening networking events.
SBC Summit Barcelona is taking place between September 20-22. Get your full access pass to SBC’s biggest-to-date event for €495 or bring along two (or more) team members and save 30% on your tickets.
