DAZN boosts reach in Japan with NTT DoCoMo partnership

DAZN, the OTT sports subscription service operated by digital media specialist Perform, has agreed a new carriage deal in Japan with mobile phone operator NTT DoCoMo.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it will create ‘DAZN for DoCoMo’ granting the operator’s customers access to DAZN’s full portfolio of sporting content.

The agreement is set to commence on February 15, with an initial 31-day free trial. After that, four different monthly subscription options will be offered, ranging in price from ¥980 (€8/$9) to ¥2,050.

DAZN’s showpiece rights offering is domestic club football competition the J.League. The Japan Professional Football League, organising body of club football in the country, in July agreed a 10-season rights deal with Perform. Under the deal, Perform has secured rights to broadcast all J1, J2 and J3 league tournaments from the 2017 to 2026 seasons. The agreement marks the first time that all games from all leagues will be broadcast in Japan.

DAZN’s other sporting content includes club football’s German Bundesliga and Italian Serie A; leading baseball from the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, Yokohama DeNA Baystars and North America’s MLB, plus the Ultimate Fighting Championship, American football league the NFL, NBA basketball and the Formula One motor racing championship.