Subscription sports streaming service DAZN has furthered its reach in Germany after agreeing a carriage deal with the Vodafone-owned GigaTV platform.
The DAZN app will now form part of the GigaTV 4K Box offering for cable television customers, and will also be available through the GigaTV Net streaming box. The app will be pre-installed on millions of GigaTV set-top boxes.
DAZN said the deal marks the first of multiple partnership integrations anticipated with the telecoms group as it looks to provide customers with enhanced viewing experiences.
DAZN has rights to a number of sports properties in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, including the domestic Bundesliga and the Uefa Champions League.
DAZN will show 45 Bundesliga matches in the 2020-21 season after recently sealing an agreement with rights-holder Discovery. It will also show 110 Champions League fixtures during the forthcoming season. From the 2021-22 campaign onwards, DAZN will step up its Bundesliga coverage to include 106 matches, with its Champions League coverage also increasing to 122 matches as part of new rights deals.
Ben King, chief subscription officer at DAZN Group, said: “Research shows us that pay-TV customers in Germany prefer to watch the majority of their video entertainment via their pay-TV set-top-box. We appreciate that by asking them to switch to a secondary device to watch Bundesliga, Champions League or NFL has been placing an unnecessary obstacle between them and the sports they love.
“In Vodafone, we have found a partner who shares our vision for providing instant and frictionless access to the best live sport. We are delighted to announce the launch of DAZN on GigaTV today. This is the first of many consumer-centric collaborations being discussed between the two companies across Europe.”
DAZN is available for €11.99 ($14.38) per month in Germany.