An agreement could reportedly be reached within weeks
DAZN is reportedly close to reaching a deal to buy BT’s sport business.
According to the Financial Times, an agreement could be reached within weeks, but there is still some uncertainty as a price and licensing agreement are yet to be finalised. In addition, Sky has to approve the deal, as BT Sport has a cross licensing deal with the broadcaster.
This comes shortly after DAZN Group chairman Kevin Mayer, speaking at the Royal Television Society Convention, said the company was open to both investing in BT Sport and acquiring Premier League rights.
Mayer said: “We’re not trying to stir the pot we’re just trying to get the rights that matter,” adding, “I would love to see the Premier League on DAZN in the future. It’s a huge market, incredibly popular sport, high quality experience, of course we’d want that.”
He also said: “We would love to have EPL ultimately, how we get there, there are many paths to get there,” he said. “I’m philosophical about it, whatever makes most sense. BT Sport is a great business.”
However, this latest development may come as a surprise, as Mayer also mentioned that, “It’s really quiet,” on talks over BT Sport’s future.
BT Sport notified shareholders that it was open to investment back in April, with a partial stake in the sport business thought likely at first. The likes of Disney and Amazon have been linked since then, but ITV ruled itself out of the discussion.
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