GLOBAL SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT LEADER DAZN ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF VIEWLIFT TO ACCELERATE US EXPANSION AND CREATE COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTIONS FOR SPORTS TEAMS’ LOCAL MEDIA RIGHTS
Transaction underscores DAZN’s ambition to play pivotal role in US sports ecosystem
DAZN and ViewLift’s complementary businesses to bring compelling proposition for leagues, teams, partners, and fans
Combination will enable enhanced scalable streaming, direct-to-consumer, and business-to-business solutions for existing and prospective clients
NEW YORK, April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — DAZN Group today announced it has reached an agreement to merge ViewLift, a leading provider of streaming and digital solutions for content owners that is deeply embedded in US sports, into DAZN. DAZN is the world’s leading sports entertainment platform, streaming more than 140,000 live events annually and available in over 200 markets worldwide, and is the global partner of leading US sports leagues, including the National Football League (NFL) and the National Hockey League (NHL), operating NFL Game Pass and NHL.TV outside the United States. ViewLift’s sports clients include 15 major US pro sports teams, five Regional Sports Networks, and global sports properties, as well as some of the biggest names in entertainment and news. The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions.
Already the primary international destination for American sports, the announcement signals DAZN’s ambition to also play a pivotal role within the US sports ecosystem. Once complete, the acquisition will enable the company to enter the rapidly evolving distribution landscape providing comprehensive streaming and content solutions to teams and leagues impacted by disruption in the US regional sports distribution model.
The move is a significant step forward in DAZN’s US growth plans, which also include partnering with US leagues and major sporting events to accelerate their international growth, expanding DAZN’s boxing portfolio in the US, and extending into broader opportunities across streaming and viewer engagement.
DAZN and ViewLift are highly complementary businesses. DAZN brings worldwide scale, the leading built-for-sport technology platform, and an established track record as the partner of choice for the largest global rights holders. ViewLift is the largest independent provider of direct-to-consumer and digitally related services to major US professional sports teams. It will bring strong US partner relationships and a robust portfolio of clients at the league and team level to DAZN, as well as deep local market insights and an outstanding team with a track record of delivery for US rights holders and growing global properties. ViewLift’s strong portfolio of entertainment and news clients also complements DAZN’s broader B2B2C services outside the US.
On completion, the combination will enable DAZN to extend its platform into a flexible B2B2C and SaaS model, supporting leagues and clubs that wish to maintain their own direct-to-consumer products while benefiting from DAZN’s global reach, infrastructure, and integrated ecosystem. Together, DAZN and ViewLift plan to bring a compelling and future-proof offering for leagues and teams seeking to deliver their content to hometown fans during a period of rapid change, while offering highly differentiated solutions globally. The companies expect that their combined reach and capabilities will enable clients to delight audiences with an offering that is stronger than any other product in the market. In addition to accelerating US growth, the acquisition will further strengthen DAZN’s capability around the world to partner with all sports, leagues, and teams of all sizes, as well as top entertainment and news brands.
Founded in 2008 in the United States, ViewLift provides end‑to‑end OTT and direct-to-consumer streaming solutions to NBA, NHL, and MLB teams, as well as partners including the NHL, LIV Golf, Versant, and Fox Sports (Latin America). ViewLift enables rights holders and networks to launch, operate, and scale streaming products for their fans quickly and cost-effectively.
Following completion, ViewLift’s business, including its technology platform and sports portfolio, will operate as a business unit within DAZN and will continue to be led by ViewLift’s experienced executive leadership and serviced by the entire ViewLift team.
Shay Segev, DAZN Group CEO, said: “This announcement is an exciting step forward in DAZN’s US expansion plans. ViewLift is a superb company – it’s a profitable sports technology business led by an experienced management team with deep relationships across the US sports ecosystem. The acquisition will enable DAZN to expand both its US presence and its platform capabilities – extending beyond its direct-to-consumer offering into a scalable B2B2C and SaaS model that allows leagues and clubs to operate their own digital products while leveraging DAZN’s global reach and technology. We look forward to completing the acquisition and bringing the entire team and their clients into the DAZN family. Together, we can play a pivotal role in the US sports market, supporting a growing roster of teams, leagues, and competitions with world-class technologies and experiences for their fans.”
Rick Allen, ViewLift CEO, said: “We are delighted to have reached this agreement with DAZN. Sports fans around the world recognize DAZN as the global home of sport. Upon joining DAZN, we’ll bring our current clients in sports, entertainment, and news even deeper solutions to meet their evolving needs. For major US pro sports teams, the combination will offer uniquely powerful future-proofing in a disrupted market. And for up-and-coming leagues and teams, we’ll provide a full suite of digital solutions with high-quality, cost-effective technology.“
Following completion, ViewLift will become part of DAZN Group, further strengthening DAZN’s ability to support leagues, teams, and partners worldwide with scalable streaming, direct‑to‑consumer, and business-to-business solutions. These combined capabilities will further advance DAZN’s ambition to build the definitive global home of sport.
In connection with the transaction, Citigroup Global Markets Limited served as the exclusive financial adviser to DAZN Group, and Rockefeller Capital Management served as the exclusive financial adviser to ViewLift.
About DAZN
DAZN, the world’s leading sports entertainment platform, streams more than 140,000 live events annually and is available in over 200 markets worldwide. DAZN is the home of European football, women’s football, boxing and MMA, as well as the NFL Game Pass and NHL.TV internationally. The platform features the biggest sports and leagues from around the world – Bundesliga, Serie A, LALIGA, Ligue 1, Formula 1, NBA, Moto GP, and many more.
In the US, DAZN offers fans a portfolio of premium sports content, anchored by its position as the global home of boxing, with more than 185 fight nights a year from leading promoters including Matchroom, Golden Boy, Queensberry and Top Rank. DAZN also delivers a growing selection of multi-sport content to US audiences, including top-tier European soccer available in Spanish, US college football and basketball, as well as MMA, motorsport, volleyball, and others.
DAZN is transforming the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless built-for-sport platform, fans can watch, play, buy, and connect. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN. The company partners with leading pay-TV operators, ISPs, and Telcos worldwide to maximise sports exposure to a broad audience.
DAZN is a global, privately owned company, founded in 2016, with more than 4,000 employees. For more information on DAZN, visit www.dazngroup.com.
About ViewLift
ViewLift is a technology company providing digital solutions for content owners, with particular expertise in live and on-demand video distribution. With proprietary cloud-based technology, ViewLift powers digital platforms for sports, entertainment, and news brands worldwide. Its services include content management, multi-platform distribution, real-time analytics, viewer engagement tools, and flexible monetisation models (AVOD, SVOD, TVOD, and hybrid models). ViewLift enables content owners to maximise audience engagement and revenue through a seamless, scalable streaming experience. ViewLift’s media clients include Versant, MOTV, and others. The company’s sports clients include the National Hockey League, 15 US top professional sports teams, LIV Golf, five Regional Sports Networks, the Professional Fighters League, the World Racing Group, and others.
