DAZN is acquiring EverPass Media in a commercial sports rights expansion that bridges the gap between global streaming and the U.S. hospitality marketplace. The transaction establishes a new footprint for the global sports streaming business, turning EverPass into the anchor of its domestic B2B strategy while leaving founding partners the NFL, RedBird Capital Partners, and TKO as minority shareholders in the combined entity.
From Legacy Distribution to Direct-to-Venue Streaming Infrastructure
Founded in April 2023 by the NFL’s 32 Equity investment arm and RedBird Capital Partners, EverPass was built to solve a logistical headache. As major sports content migrated toward streaming apps and digital paywalls, commercial venues like bars, restaurants, hotels, and gyms remained tethered to legacy distribution. EverPass stepped in as a dedicated media platform, securing the commercial distribution rights to properties including NFL Sunday Ticket, Peacock Sports Pass, Amazon Prime Video, and Paramount+, as reported by EverPass Media. By handling the sales and providing the infrastructure to deliver those events, the platform allowed hospitality businesses to stream sporting events.
For DAZN, which has a heavy emphasis on boxing in the U.S. while building broader league portfolios overseas, the acquisition represents a push in scale. Instead of building venue relationships from scratch, the global sports streaming giant inherits a distribution network with commercial roots across America.
Commenting on how the buyout enables the firm to simultaneously serve individual mobile app users and commercial spaces, DAZN CEO Shay Segev remarked, “EverPass Media gives us a proven commercial distribution platform, deep relationships across U.S. venues, and an attractive portfolio of premium rights that perfectly complements our growing U.S. business.”
Cementing the NFL Partnership and Expanding Domestic Reach
The strategic value of this acquisition involves commercial NFL Sunday Ticket. For football fans across the United States, heading to a local neighborhood pub to watch out-of-market Sunday afternoon games is a ritual. Maintaining that pipeline is crucial for league executives aiming to maximize fan engagement outside of traditional living rooms.
Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s executive vice president of media distribution, noted, “We are excited to expand our partnership with DAZN through this acquisition and continue to work with EverPass and DAZN to deliver the best NFLST experience to the commercial marketplace.” He additionally stated, “Together, we will continue to expand reach for commercial NFL Sunday Ticket and deepen engagement in a key segment where fans gather for NFL football.”
That sentiment is echoed by the financial masterminds behind the platform’s initial launch. RedBird Capital Partners founder Gerry Cardinale emphasized that EverPass was constructed to capture the migration of sports content toward digital streaming frameworks. Integrating that infrastructure directly into DAZN’s global machinery opens up pathways for international scaling, turning a domestic hospitality solution into a commercial blueprint.
A Shared Vision for Live Global Soccer and High-Stakes Tournaments
The groundwork for this alignment between DAZN and EverPass was laid before the acquisition. In May 2025, the two companies inked a commercial distribution agreement to bring the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 to bars and restaurants throughout the U.S., as documented by EverPass Media. That tournament, featuring 63 matches played across twelve American venues and culminating in a final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, served as a test for how streaming platforms could monetize public viewing spaces.
Alex Kaplan, CEO of EverPass Media, noted at the time that soccer fandom in America was surging and that high-stakes tournaments drive traffic and consumer loyalty for local businesses. By pairing EverPass’s venue network with DAZN’s broadcasting rights, both entities proved they could commercialize global events outside of the confines of residential living rooms.
What This Means for the Future of Sports Media Commerce
Venues no longer want a fractured ecosystem of different apps and distinct log-ins to entertain patrons on a busy weekend. By consolidating premium NFL inventory, major soccer tournaments, and regional sports rights—such as DAZN’s recent takeover of local market streaming for the New York Knicks and Yankees—under one unified commercial umbrella, the company is crafting a utility for businesses.
Terms of the latest transaction remain undisclosed, but the corporate realignment is reshaping the landscape. With RedBird, TKO, and the NFL as minority stakeholders, the newly bolstered platform possesses the institutional backing and the technical horsepower to dictate how live sports are consumed collectively in the public sphere for years to come. Whether you are catching an out-of-market gridiron clash or an international soccer fixture at your favorite local spot, the infrastructure powering that broadcast just got smarter.
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