Sports streaming service DAZN has inked a seven-year deal with England’s National League, acquiring the global broadcast rights to the semi-professional fifth and sixth tiers of English soccer. The agreement, which comes into effect at the start of the 2024/25 season, will see DAZN replace TNT Sports as the league’s domestic broadcast partner.
The deal includes both linear and digital rights to three divisions comprising 72 clubs until 2031. This move signifies a significant shift in sports broadcasting as it marks DAZN's first investment in domestic soccer rights in England.
DAZN will also absorb National League TV's global direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service, launched in December 2022. As part of this arrangement, all 557 fifth-tier National League matches will be streamed internationally. Selected games from the sixth-tier National League South and National League North will also be available.
National League general manager, Mark Ives, said:
“We are incredibly excited about this groundbreaking long-term joint venture with DAZN, one of the biggest players in sports broadcasting and the deal demonstrates the continuing growth and reach of the National League,”
Impact on UK viewership
In line with Football Association (FA) regulations, only selected matches will be broadcast live due to a blackout period between 2:45pm and 3:15pm on Saturday afternoons. However, all users can access highlights and full match replays regardless of these restrictions. Production responsibilities for these features now fall under DAZN's purview.
National League TV is set to be available as both a standalone product or an add-on to an existing DAZN subscription ahead of the new season. This model mirrors those used by other major sports leagues such as NFL’s Game Pass and Fiba’s Courtside 1891 DTC services.
This acquisition not only replaces TNT Sports' previous UK deal but also strengthens DAZN's international service portfolio which already includes several top-flight women’s leagues and the Uefa Women’s Champions League (UWCL). Furthermore, DAZN also broadcasts the English Football League matches (EFL) in Spain, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Japan and Italy.
Rich history of National League
TNT Sports had held the rights since 2013 after inheriting them from BT Sport. The latter used the competition as a tech testbed for broadcast innovations like 5G connected cameras. Other broadcasters such as Premier Sports and Setanta Sports have also held these rights in the past. Sky Sports was known to show occasional matches during the 1990s.
Shay Segev, DAZN Group chief executive, said:
“The global exposure DAZN will bring the League and our clubs cannot be overstated. DAZN will be using their vast expertise in sports broadcasting and streaming to allow fans in both the UK and internationally to access live matches across all connected devices like never before.
“We look forward to working very closely with them to enhances the viewing experience for all fans that can’t be at the stadium, which we believe is to the full benefit of our clubs and their supporters.”
“DAZN’s technology makes us uniquely placed to create destinations for sports fans, and this multi-year partnership will allow us to create a global home for the National League, helping fans better access the teams they are so passionate about, while creating engagement opportunities to access new audiences,”
This deal marks a significant milestone for DAZN as it expands its footprint in domestic soccer broadcasting while providing sports fans with more access to semi-professional soccer games globally.
