In a significant move for combat sports, global streaming service DAZN has secured an exclusive multi-territory rights deal with Glory kickboxing, significantly enhancing its portfolio. This partnership will enable DAZN to air premium tournaments live across numerous regions including the Netherlands, Canada, the DACH region (Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein), the Balkans, and the United States. The deal is set to commence with Glory’s Last Heavyweight Standing tournament on April 5, 2025, featuring an impressive lineup of 32 fighters.
Shay Segev, the Chief Executive Officer of DAZN, expressed enthusiasm about this new collaboration. He stated, "DAZN and GLORY have a shared ambition to showcase star-studded kickboxing talent, and this partnership heralds an exciting addition to DAZN’s platform." This agreement is seen as a vital step for Glory as it looks to expand its reach beyond previous arrangements, which limited its content distribution largely to pay-per-view streaming on TrillerTV and some free offerings on YouTube.
The deal is integral to Glory’s strategic growth, which recently involved partnering with Betr, a betting service founded by popular influencer Jake Paul. This collaborative effort aims to modernize engagement strategies with fans and expand Glory's global footprint.
In conjunction with its foray into kickboxing, DAZN is also making significant strides in football broadcasting. In a bid to enrich viewer engagement, DAZN has begun offering a promotional three-month subscription for Ligue 1 matches in France. This offer targets the first 120,000 customers who purchase a meal worth €14.15 ($15.33) from a dedicated Ligue 1 menu via McDo+, McDonald’s delivery app. Currently, DAZN's subscription costs €39.99 for Ligue 1 matches, while individual matches are priced at €14.99. For customers under 26, a discounted monthly subscription of €10 is available.
Despite these promotional efforts, DAZN has encountered challenges in meeting its subscription goals for Ligue 1. With only 400,000 subscribers thus far, the company remains far from its target of 1.5 million, making it difficult to recover the €375 million it invests annually for broadcasting rights to eight of the nine fixtures each weekend.
This issue of subscriber acquisition has been compounded by a previous dispute with the LFP governing body over unpaid rights fees. DAZN had temporarily withheld payments, citing operational difficulties due to piracy issues and insufficient support from certain clubs. They eventually rectified the situation by paying the overdue fees in late February 2025.
In another innovative leap, Camb.AI, an AI translation tool, has entered into a multi-year agreement with Ligue 1 to become the official global language solution for the league. This partnership allows LFP Media to leverage Camb.AI's advanced technology, which encompasses AI translation, voice emulation, and dubbing, to deliver multilingual commentary for football fans worldwide. This initiative aligns with LFP Media’s strategy to lead in AI-driven engagement within the football industry.
Martin Aurenche, Chief Media Officer of LFP Media, elaborated on the significance of this collaboration, stating, "We have worked with Camb.AI over the last few months to identify multiple use cases and impact points which enhance our fan engagement and will bring unprecedented value to our international broadcasters." This advancement in multilingual support aims to make Ligue 1’s content more accessible to a global audience, furthering the league's reach and engagement.
Akshat Prakash, CTO and co-founder of Camb.AI, emphasized the impact of this deal on the fan experience, noting, "Our agreement with LFP Media is yet another ratification of the holistic language transformation that we can bring to large organisations which delivers real improvements in consumer engagement, growth in revenue and reduction in operating costs." This partnership not only illustrates Camb.AI's capabilities but also gives LFP a competitive edge in the increasingly globalized sports broadcasting landscape.
Together, these developments represent a significant evolution in the sports streaming field, with companies like DAZN and Camb.AI at the forefront of enhancing viewer experiences and accessibility. AsDAZN commits to broadening its combat sports portfolio, and Camb.AI focuses on multilingual commentary, both are positioning themselves to thrive in a rapidly changing digital landscape. The future of sports viewing seems brighter, with innovations designed to engage and expand audiences across the globe.
