Acquisition part of efforts to create women’s football vertical

ata football x DAZN

DAZN has acquired women’s football platform ata football.

Founded by Esmeralda Negron and Hannah Brown in 2020, ata football streams live and on-demand women’s football content on its platform. It has hosted 170+ women’s football matches to date, as well as highlights, premium content partnerships and instructional videos featuring elite female players. 

DAZN has made several investments into women’s football, including holding the rights to the Women’s Champions League in Europe - which it has streamed large parts of for free on YouTube. It has also launched bespoke women’s sport streaming services, such as DAZN Rise - a FAST service in Germany and Austria dedicated to women’s sport; and DAZN Women’s Football, which is also FAST and available globally.

DAZN also holds the rights to Spain’s Liga F, and the NWSL.

Negron and Brown will stay on with DAZN, forming a women’s sport business unit within the broadcaster.

DAZN Group CEO Shay Segev said: “DAZN and ata football share the same view when it comes to women’s football, the strength of game lies in its participants, fans and distinct appeal. By harnessing these characteristics, we believe that DAZN can build on the foundations our investment in the women’s game has delivered so far. The progress that has been made in creating visibility for competitions like the UWCL, LigaF, Frauen Bundesliga amongst others, has seen value created in the whole ecosystem.

“More viewers, higher attendances and better sponsorship deals. With Esmeralda and Hannah joining the team at DAZN to establish a women’s sport business unit, we are confident that DAZN will keep setting the pace in this area of huge potential, as well as establishing even better and greater links with the communities that are driving the women’s game on to ever-increasing heights.”  

Negron and Brown said: “Three years ago we recognised there was significant opportunity for the growth in audience and engagement in the women’s professional game, and also the real near-term challenges to achieve that. Over a million young girls play grassroots football in the US alone and are largely unconnected to the professional women’s game. Over the last few years, we’ve witnessed the rise of women’s football in the storied clubs of Europe, significant investment, and development of leagues across all markets, exponential growth of national team football and advocacy across the landscape. Now is the time to build the product, partnerships, and experiences to fuel the women’s football ecosystem and become the global community for fans and players of the game.

“We would like to thank 777 Partners who invested in us from launch for their belief in our vision and absolute commitment to ata football. This acquisition by DAZN to combine our assets and capabilities presents an extraordinary opportunity to build a truly global women’s football business; we can’t wait to get going.”