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- Ata Football broadcasts France’s D1 Féminine and Italy’s Serie A Femininile to several major markets
- Platform is financially backed by 777 Partners
- Ata Football cofounders Esmeralda Negron and Hannah Brown will join DAZN
Sports streaming company DAZN has reached a deal to acquire women’s soccer content platform Ata Football.
The acquisition will see DAZN further consolidate its women’s soccer offering, adding to its extensive rights portfolio that include the global rights to the Uefa Women’s Champions League (UWCL) and both the domestic and international rights to Germany’s Frauen Bundesliga.
Financially backed by Miami-based sports investment firm 777 Partners, Ata Football broadcasts and distributes live and on-demand women’s soccer matches from top-tier European leagues through its own over-the-top (OTT) streaming platform. It shows games from leagues such as France’s Division 1 Féminine and Italy’s Serie A Femminile across territories including the US, the UK and Ireland.
Ata Football also acts as a sales agency for several European women’s soccer properties, sublicensing rights to broadcasters such as CBS Sports. The US network’s pay-TV channel CBS Sports Network aired at least 15 games covering Division 1 Féminine, Serie A Femminile and the Frauen Bundesliga during the 2022/23 season, after entering an agreement with Ata Football.
While no financial terms were provided for the deal, Sky News reports that the price DAZN is paying for Ata Football is a ‘nominal sum’. DAZN said it intends to use Ata Football to establish a women’s sports vertical within its business. Ata Football co-founders Esmeralda Negron and Hannah Brown will also join DAZN as part of the acquisition.
“DAZN and Ata football share the same view when it comes to women’s football, the strength of game lies in its participants, fans and distinct appeal,” said Shay Segev, DAZN Group chief executive.
“By harnessing these characteristics, we believe that DAZN can build on the foundations our investment in the women’s game has delivered so far. The progress that has been made in creating visibility for competitions like the UWCL, Liga F, Frauen Bundesliga amongst others, has seen value created in the whole ecosystem. More viewers, higher attendances and better sponsorship deals.
“With Esmeralda and Hannah joining the team at DAZN to establish a women’s sport business unit, we are confident that DAZN will keep setting the pace in this area of huge potential, as well as establishing even better and greater links with the communities that are driving the women’s game on to ever-increasing heights.”
SportsPro says…
DAZN has seen the growth of women’s soccer first hand, having achieved record viewership figures for its coverage across the 2022/23 season. Through the acquisition of Ata Football, it has the opportunity to establish itself as the go-to destination for the women’s game.
Over the last year, the company has expanded its coverage of women’s soccer through bespoke free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels in major European markets, as well as offering a women’s soccer-specific subscription tier in Spain. By integrating Ata Football into its business, it can now offer coverage of leagues such as Division 1 Féminine across more territories than before.
While on the rise, investment in women’s soccer has the potential to escalate further. DAZN’s acquisition of Ata Football now may allow the company to position itself at the forefront of the women’s game as it continues its upward trajectory.
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