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DAZN officially debuted its coverage of the English National League System on Saturday (9 November).
The global and exclusive broadcast resulted in National League TV (NLTV) being integrated into the streaming firm’s platform.
This included coverage of the National League, National League North and National League South, which represent the fifth and sixth tiers of English football.
Shay Segev, CEO of DAZN, commented on the original announcement of the deal: “DAZN’s technology makes us uniquely placed to create destinations for sports fans.
“This multi-year partnership with NLS will allow us to create a global home for the National League, helping fans better access the teams they are so passionate about while creating engagement opportunities to access new audiences.”
York City played against Hartlepool United to kick off coverage, marking the first of 557 National League matches available to stream live and in full on the platform, along with additional highlights and replays.
This deal positions NLTV alongside some of the world’s biggest sports leagues, including NFL Game Pass, PGA Tour Pass, and other standalone channels within DAZN’s platform portfolio.
Stakeholders of the National League are likely to view this as a valuable opportunity to expand the league’s commercial reach, attracting new supporters and opening up additional sponsorship opportunities.
The ability to broadcast games on television is crucial in enhancing the value of partnerships and sponsorship deals, as highlighted by Matthew Disley, Commercial Director at Sutton United, in an interview with Insider Sport ahead of the club’s FA Cup clash against Birmingham City earlier this month.
Disley said national TV coverage, like Sutton’s match on ITV, attracted sponsors such as online sportsbook SBK, expanding the club’s reach to both local and national audiences. To capitalise on this, the club installed temporary LED boards for the FA Cup match, which he noted were “great commercially” and brought in significant additional revenue.
Mark Ives, General Manager of the National League, previously said: “We are incredibly excited about this groundbreaking long-term joint venture with DAZN, one of the biggest players in sports broadcasting and the deal demonstrates the continuing growth and reach of the National League.”
