DAZN, a leading sports streaming platform, has been making significant strides in the German market. Last year, it launched its first-ever free ad-supported television (FAST) channel and experimented with various monetisation options such as pay-per-view (PPV). Now, the company is set to introduce a freemium tier in Germany.
While not all new features are introduced first in Germany - for instance, merchandising and betting offerings were initially rolled out in Spain - Alice Mascia, DAZN’s chief executive for the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland), emphasised the significance of this market when testing new product integrations on its streaming platform.
Alice Mascia, DACH Region Chief Executive at DAZN, said:
“We say in the industry [that] if it works in Germany, it works everywhere, We have been using Germany as a test market for a lot of our direct-to-consumer strategies.
“The way I look at it is broader content monetisation, a little bit less traditional than just a pay subscription as we started the business originally, or as other competitors that are a little bit more established than us like Sky will do.
“We have changed and improved the way we were monetising from a subscription perspective, as our rights portfolio has significantly improved over time. But we have also introduced different packages to reflect a different willingness to pay, different interests and, at the same time, also a different value of the rights.”
The rights portfolio that DAZN holds within this region is impressive. It includes domestic coverage of Bundesliga matches along with broadcasting rights for UEFA Champions League games. Additionally, fans can also enjoy National Basketball Association (NBA) matches and MotoGP races.
Mascia highlighted that launching a freemium tier demonstrates DAZN's commitment to expanding access to its sports coverage. This move will allow customers who have an account to watch some premium content without needing to pay a subscription fee. It's an innovative approach that puts some flagship content before the paywall while maintaining value for subscribers.
DAZN also partners with Fanatics to improve user experience
In another strategic move aimed at enhancing user experience on their platform, DAZN has entered into a partnership with Fanatics—an online sports retail platform. This collaboration will integrate Fanatics' retail services directly into the company’s streaming platform allowing fans to buy merchandise from within the app itself—an embedded online experience set for launch next year.
According to Mascia, this integration will carry an “editorial twist”. Select merchandise will be advertised alongside the content it relates to, providing a seamless shopping experience for fans. Moreover, the retail shop will also be integrated into the DAZN watch party feature, offering an enhanced viewing experience to its audience.
DAZN's innovative approach in Germany is setting new standards in sports streaming. By launching a freemium tier and integrating merchandising directly into their platform through their partnership with Fanatics, they are not only broadening access to premium sports content but also enhancing user experience significantly.
It's an exciting time for sports fans and betting enthusiasts alike as they get ready to enjoy a more immersive and interactive viewing experience.
