Dazn to launch sports betting brand with Pragmatic deal

Dazn will launch a new business, headquartered in Gibraltar, to operate sports betting under the new brand, which will do business “in multiple regulated territories”. The platform for this product will be provided by Pragmatic, through an exclusive multi-year deal with the media group.

“It’s an honour for us to partner with Dazn,” Pragmatic Solutions chief executive Ashley Lang said. “We know that fans want more integrated, immersive and interactive experiences and, through our exclusive partnership with Dazn, we can deliver this.”

Pragmatic only launched its sportsbook product earlier this month. At the time of launch, it said that operators had already shown signs of interest.

Dazn said that the new sports betting business would “develop a fun, convenient and integrated experience for casual bettors to enjoy alongside Dazn’s live sports streaming”, as part of what it called “the trend towards recreational in-play betting”.

The move comes after Dazn last year hired Shay Segev (pictured) – formerly chief executive of Entain – as its new CEO. In addition to Segev, Dazn also hired a number of other Entain executives including Ian Turnbull to the newly created role of executive vice-president for betting and gaming and Sandeep Tiku as chief technology officer.

“The convergence of sports media and betting is the future,” Segev said. “This historic partnership brings together the leading sports media company and a technology partner who is committed to developing innovative experiences for fans. It underscores Dazn’s commitment to revitalise the sports viewing experience by offering a broader spectrum of digital entertainment for fans.”

Dazn added that the new betting product is expected to soft launch a beta product at the start of the 2021-22 European football season in August.