DAZN, Movistar Plus Team for Linear, Streaming Sports Packages in Spain
Spain’s Movistar Plus, the pay TV arm of Telefonica, and global sports streaming platform DAZN, have closed a deal that will offer extensive live sports and factual sports content to clients of both companies.
Through the alliance, Movistar subscribers will be given the option of receiving DAZN content through new linear channels on Movistar Plus, as well as access to DAZN’s streaming platform. In return, DAZN will be able to stream the F1 World Championship, which Movistar has the exclusive broadcast rights in Spain for the next three years, which can be streamed on DAZN’s native platform or on the newly created DAZN F1 channel available exclusively through Movistar Plus.
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Formula 1 fever is overtaking Spanish sports fans following the signing of local legend Carlos Sainz by Ferrari and the return of Fernando Alonso. Movistar subscribers of packages which already include F1 racing – Movistar’s Sports, Motor and Premium packages – will have access to DAZN F1 starting today, as well as all of the streamer’s other content.
DAZN holds exclusive rights in Spain to several high-profile sports leagues. Included among them are: the English Premier League, Euroleague, Spain’s domestic soccer cup competition the Copa del Rey, a glut of UFC content, Conmebol Libertadores, EuroCup basketball, the WTA circuit and Italy’s domestic soccer cup competition the Coppa Italia.
Spain’s largest pay TV operator, Movistar Plus is accustomed to working with platforms, and has similar agreements already with Netflix and Disney Plus as it shapes up as an aggregator of select top OTT services. In each case, Movistar can offer up additional content, while the streaming platforms get crucial access to potential subscribers’ homes plus TV-set play.
“We want to become the type of marketplace that doesn’t offer everything out there, we won’t integrate every platform, but we want to integrate the best of what is on offer out there,” Movistar Plus president Sergio Oslí explained to Variety. “We want to incorporate with products that we believe bring value to our customers. The sports that DAZN offers are highly relevant to our customers.”
For its part, DAZN closed several strategic collaborations in other territories in 2020, including deals with Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom and Telefónica O2 in Germany, Vodafone in Italy and KDDI in Japan.
The rollout of DAZN’s content will be staggered as linear channels are created and implemented by Movistar. Starting Jan. 21, DAZN will have two linear channels on the Movistar Plus platform where it will broadcast its most popular content. This spring, two more linear channels will be created and Movistar will distribute access codes to Movistar customers for DAZN’s OTT service. A final step towards integration will come in about a year, when the DAZN OTT platform will be made fully accessible through Movistar customers’ existing hardware and the Movistar Plus interface.
“This alliance with DAZN reinforces our sports offering and will enrich the experience of all sports fans,” said Emilio Gayo, president of Telefónica Spain, in a Movistar release. “This relationship reaffirms our commitment to always offer our clients the best of our own content, through our original production and the most relevant programming, and through partners at the forefront of the audiovisual industry. DAZN now comes to Movistar Plus, an alliance that will celebrate all the successes of sport.”
James Rushton, co-CEO at DAZN, added: “The agreement with Movistar Plus is a great example of how entertainment platforms and operators can collaborate to deliver more satisfying and intuitive viewing experiences for sports fans. It’s also an important moment for the business as we execute on our strategy to drive further growth in our core markets. Starting in March, our customers in Spain will enjoy exclusive coverage of Formula 1 and with this acquisition, DAZN becomes the must-have platform for motorsport fans in Spain.”
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