Italian pay-television broadcaster Sky has struck a new agreement with DAZN which, in addition to a series of dedicated offers for viewing streamed content, includes the launch of a channel for the OTT service on Sky’s television platform.
From September 20, Sky subscribers will have access to the DAZN1 channel. The new channel will provide some of DAZN’s key rights portfolio, including three Serie A and two Serie B matches per round of the domestic football leagues, a selection of games from overseas competitions and other sporting events. The full DAZN offering will continue to be available via streaming only.
Customers who have subscribed to Sky’s Calcio and Sport packages for more than three years will be provided with access to DAZN1 at no extra cost. For other subscribers, the new offering will cost €7.99 ($8.71) per month with those customers who subscribe to Sky Calcio only being provided DAZN1 free of charge for the first three months.
The latest agreement builds on a pact signed in July 2018. That agreement allowed Sky subscribers to watch DAZN’s coverage of three Serie A matches per round, as well as all second-tier Serie B matches via the Sky Q service.
In June last year, DAZN’s acquired exclusive coverage of a total of 114 matches per Serie A season on a platform-neutral basis from 2018-19 to 2020-21. In the sales process, Sky remained the primary live rights-holder of Serie A coverage in Italy by picking up rights to 152 matches per season, before the deal with DAZN.
Commenting on the new agreement, Veronica Diquattro, executive vice-president for Southern Europe at DAZN, said: “This agreement with Sky will allow an increasing number of fans, including those who live in Italian areas not yet perfectly served by adequate technological infrastructure, to have access, through the channel, to a selection of the main events of DAZN.”