OTT platform DAZN has reportedly held talks with North American ice hockey league the NHL about creating a whiparound show, furthering its interest in this type of content.
The Front Office Sports website, citing sources, said exploratory talks have been held over a show that would be similar to DAZN’s nightly Major League Baseball program, ChangeUp. It could be included as part of DAZN’s monthly $19.99 (€18) subscription fee.
The report comes after DAZN expressed its interest in securing live National Football League rights in the United States. In March, the NFL said it was looking to expand its Sunday Ticket package for out-of-market games beyond its exclusive deal with DirecTV and into the digital frontier.
The NFL’s Sunday Ticket deal with DirecTV has an opt-out at the end of the 2019 season, otherwise the partnership will continue until 2022. DAZN has also been linked to a similar whiparound show for basketball league the NBA.
Front Office Sports said any serious pursuit of partnerships with the NHL and NBA is likely to rest on whether the NFL decides to make OTT streaming rights available.