Remember when DAZN launched? For anyone not involved It’s easy to become cynical in the face of a full-scale broadcasting revolution that sounds too good to be true.
The name of the streaming channel didn’t exactly roll off the tongue. And during an early interview after signing with DAZN, Eddie Hearn corrected the presumed abbreviation and pronounced it. ‘dee-eh-zed-en’ dutifully
“The name is Zone Da-Zone,” Hearn never said, but DAZN is like the 007 of boxing, here to rid the landscape of fraudsters. By thrilling us with straightforward one-on-one battles. and condemned the dastardly pay-per-view model to the past – all while embracing modernity. Streaming devices so that we can watch boxing matches whenever and wherever we want. Whether it’s on the inside of your eyelid while you sleep or on the palm of your hand while skydiving from a plane, this is the future, we’re told.
Like many people, Frank Warren isn’t buying it – the Deadzone app is how he likes to talk about DAZN – but that’s when Frank hated Eddie. And Eddie hates Frank. Two competitors whose dissatisfaction with one another grows during every YouTube interview they do. Because those behind the camera see more value in cultivating discord than quelling it.
An incredible amount has changed since then. Meanwhile, mature minds realize that the sport would be in a significantly better place if everyone got along. The warring promotional groups openly refused to sweep their grudges under the rug until Saudi paymaster Turki Alalshikh provided them with a broom and a financial incentive to use it. And that was all it took – Big cash with the promise of more – and years of bitterness, bitterness and even the odd legal battle. It seems all but forgotten.
For boxing fans, at least those who can ignore the moral compass ringing in their brains. An alliance with roots in the riches of the Middle East would be welcome. Simply because creating such an attractive pairing is on a level of possibility never seen before, however, many are wondering if it still exists. Will the fortune tree begin to wither?
After all, the Warrens and Hearns hadn’t been side by side for the best part of 30 years previously. The latest acquisition will see Queensberry switch from TNT Sport and join Matchroom on DAZN next April. It’s perhaps the most convincing sign that Frank and Eddie are in this partnership for the long haul.
“What usually happens in this sport is The more time you spend together, The more you understand how much more you can work together,” a source close to the deal told BoxingScene. “There is now proof that Queensberry and Matchroom can work together. But the truth is that both are competing businesses that want to do the best for their fighters. There is also a lot of common sense in understanding that working together will benefit both the business and the fighters.”
Alalshikh, though, is open about his preference for DAZN as a broadcaster. With rumors circulating that a financial investment in the channel is imminent, Queensberry’s deal with the streaming service does not mean that all Riyadh Season events will receive exclusive worldwide treatment from DAZN. Still unconfirmed, BoxingScene has suggested that major boxing events will be announced. that takes place under the flag of Saudi Arabia It may still be spread across multiple channels to ensure as much reach as possible, for example in the UK alone. Punters can choose to pay DAZN, Sky Sports or TNT to watch this year’s Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury and Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol. On the surface, the thin spread of product looks like a typical ‘boxing’ arrangement. Any success must be luck rather than judgment. But there’s a reason at play: there are a wide range of television packages on offer to UK consumers, some including Sky and some not including TNT, and vice versa. And a lot of people don’t sign up but just pay as they go. So opening the door for everyone, thinking about it, many people will walk through.
However, whether DAZN, Golden Boy Promotion’s broadcast partner, will have the same reach or visibility as Sky and TNT is certainly debatable. The argument goes: say DAZN (‘da-zone’) to anyone who doesn’t watch boxing and it’s unlikely they’ll know what you’re talking about. This compares to the ubiquitous visibility in the UK of TNT and Sky, two channels that have been able to push boxing while covering more mainstream sports. One might conclude that DAZN – especially now that it’s home to three of the world’s largest promotional groups – is in danger of being more sidelined from boxing than it already is.
But it really depends on who you’re asking.
For example, take the over 45 year old population and this point might be valid. There is also evidence that broadcast television programs are exaggerated. (better known as OTT, which refers to programming broadcast over the internet, such as Netflix, Amazon, and Apple), as opposed to programming broadcast over the air, cable, or satellite.) It’s not only the choice of the new generation. But it can also boast the greatest audience overall.
The Netflix version has long been referenced when trying to sell DAZN’s strength in the sports market, a success that has been reported by the streaming giant in recent days over Jake’s hilarious encounters. Paul-Mike Tyson, with over 60 million amazing homes modified It’s good news for DAZN, and marketers say it’s only a matter of time before everyone knows what it is. How to pronounce And where can I find it? But therein lies the challenge facing Queensberry, Matchroom, and Golden Boy: to create the kind of event that has consistent enough crossover appeal to adequately scale their networks. After all, if Netflix and its co-teachers teach us One thing about viewing behavior is that if the product is attractive enough. Consumers will find it.
One obstacle DAZN faces remains: Live sporting events – no matter how exciting the results – won’t last through the new season. Stranger things or the omnipresent appeal of Very bad– When a fight breaks out And people were talking about it at work on Monday. The widest window of opportunity is likely to come and go. Because the main selling point of a live event is its liveliness, however, talk about Walter White around the water cooler and it triggers a desire to keep up in the same way that hearing about the results of a sports event does. can’t do it
The conflicting argument may be due to the fact that the more often people talk about enjoying an event, the more likely it is that they enjoy it. The easier it will be to sell your next job. And that is absolutely correct. So it puts more pressure on the matchmaking system, which should be viewed positively. Because quality fights will have to happen at a more consistent rate than they are today.
Because of this, the battle that DAZN faces, especially in comparison to Netflix and co, is a worthwhile fight. and flash sales price increase And acknowledging that they have to embrace the pay-per-view model as well. pointed out that their initial growth forecasts were incorrect.
Part of this is no doubt a failure to secure the rights to some of the most exciting leagues and tournaments in the world of sports. This is also where comparisons with popular streaming channels fall short. Netflix, for example, is able to offer a wide range of series and movies that appeal to all ages and demographics. So when they added Mike Tyson’s return, they were promoting a live event to a large cross-section of society. In this sense, it’s comparable to the heyday of the 1980s when live boxing was interspersed with entertainment. Widely attractive general There will be tens of millions of viewers on a regular basis.
But DAZN appears to be in this for the long haul. Specializing in focusing on untapped territories while competing for market share in more stable areas. They have developed an understanding of the nuances of boxing in a way that far-sighted channels have struggled with. Additionally, as Top Rank is considering broadcast options in 2025 when its current deal with ESPN expires, DAZN It could become the biggest player in the boxing broadcast market for some time – and one that makes cross-pollination between top promoters not only easy but mandatory, whether influenced by Turki Alalshikh or not. Anyway
However, how possible is all this? Only time will tell. Dates will have to be shuffled between sponsors who are used to having a free reign on the calendar. and the constant arguments on social media between Eddie Hearn and Golden Boy’s Oscar De La Hoya are like two young rich kids arguing about their father having the best car. It just reinforces that some relationships in boxing will always fluctuate.
