DAZN’s EVP Joe Markowski sat down with furyjoshua.com to talk about how the platform has dealt with a pandemic, and what the future holds.
Sky Sports and BT Sport have been the mainstays of boxing coverage on UK TV in recent years. But now there is a new kid on the block.
Streaming platform DAZN, already live in Germany and Japan since 2016 and the United States since 2018, rolled out its service to more than 200 countries on December 1, including the UK.
This weekend P4P king ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and middleweight great Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin are both in action on the platform. Golovkin faces Kamil Szeremeta on Friday, while ‘Canelo’ meets British star Callum Smith in a super-middleweight title showdown on Saturday.
That double-header is swiftly followed by lightweight sensation Ryan Garcia locking horns with Britain’s Luke Campbell on January 2.
As UK fans prepare to get their fighting fix on DAZN, the company’s EVP Joe Markowski sat down with furyjoshua.com to talk about how the platform has dealt with a pandemic, and what the future holds.
Q: First of all, can you give us an insight into the challenges DAZN has faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, how you have tried to mitigate/attack them and what shape do you believe you are in now?
COVID-19 has been a challenge for the industry, but it has accelerated numerous long-term trends we see as opportunities. DAZN is emerging from the crisis stronger, more agile and more focused.
We’re in great shape. Having Anthony Joshua, GGG, Canelo, Ryan Garcia and Luke Campbell all on the global platform within the first few weeks means we’re ending the year with a real bang - and all for just £1.99 or less in new markets.
Q: Obviously people have had a lot of time to ponder during the past few months. In what ways has it changed your thinking about the sports streaming sector, and rights acquisition? And looking back, are there things you think DAZN might do differently from a boxing perspective if you were starting over again?
The pandemic gave us time to reflect and refocus on our priorities and we’re in a stronger position today with those learnings. However, our global platform has been in the works for much longer and centres on leveraging our existing investment in premium boxing content and our market-leading technology.
We are constantly scanning the market for rights and new opportunities and we move on them when it makes commercial sense. However, at the moment our focus is on bringing the best of boxing to fans around the world for an affordable, monthly price.
Q: Boxing’s obituary is written pretty regularly, but it always survives. Just give us your view on the health of the sport right now, and perhaps outline some areas in which you think it needs to change?
Boxing is in a good place. Our global launch schedule just shows what’s possible despite the additional challenges posed by the pandemic. Then if you look ahead to 2021, you’ve got many great potential fights. The heavyweight division could have a historic year. The lightweight division is red hot and there seems to always be a bevy of good fighters around welterweight and middleweight.
Q: It’s likely the pandemic will cause an economic reset in many sectors, and this has been talked about in boxing with respect to fighter purses/contracts potentially being affected. Do you see that happening, and if so how?
I wouldn’t speak publicly about the specifics of commercial contracts. But I’d say it’s not just boxing or even sports; the world has changed. Every company and partnership had the opportunity to examine what’s sensible and determine a path forward.
Q: One of DAZN’s main selling points when it launched in the United States was giving fans an alternative to highly-priced, one-off PPVs. Are you still committed to that model for the long-term, and do you see the post-pandemic era being one where PPV prices fall anyway?
At DAZN we are committed to delivering affordable access to sport anytime, anywhere on any device. For us, providing value for money is key.
Q: You recently announced plans for a rollout in more than 200 markets globally - including the UK. Just tell us a little bit about what UK boxing fans can expect from DAZN in the coming months?
We’ve got a first-rate schedule of world championship boxing for fans in the UK to enjoy over the coming months. Gennady Golovkin looks to make history on December 18 when he attempts to make a record 21st defence of the middleweight title against Kamil Szeremeta. A day later Canelo Alvarez takes on the UK’s very own Callum Smith for WBA and The Ring super middleweight titles.
Last but by no means least, Olympic champion Luke Campbell takes on lightweight prospect Ryan Garcia in Texas on January 2. Additionally, I’d add that we’ll start this fight before 7pm ET in the U.S. so fans in the UK will be able to catch it before midnight.
All of these fights, plus an impressive slate of original programming, means DAZN is a must-have for boxing fans in the UK.
Q: The clamour continues for a fight or fights between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. We know that’s a huge event for the UK, but how big do you think it potentially is in the United States and farther afield globally?
It’s a huge fight globally. Both fighters have legions of followers in the UK and across the Atlantic, as well as in European countries like Germany and Ireland. And don’t forget, AJ is huge in Nigeria. It’s been a long time coming and if both men eventually enter the ring and determine who is the number one heavyweight in the world, fight fans around the world will be glued to their screens.
Q: You have aired Anthony Joshua’s fights on DAZN in the United States since 2018. How important would DAZN being involved in a Fury vs Joshua fight be to future strategy, and what are your initial thoughts about how you might approach it?
AJ is a big part of DAZN. His rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019 was the most streamed event of the year on DAZN, bigger than the UEFA Champions League final which we show in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan and Canada - just to give you a sense of how big boxing already is on DAZN.
It's a massive fight. Any time there is a fight with global appeal, it will be appealing to a global broadcaster. But nothing to say beyond that at the moment.
Q: Outside of the heavyweights, the lightweight division might be the most stacked in boxing right now. You have Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia already fighting on DAZN while we have the likes of Teofimo Lopez and Vasiliy Lomachenko also at 135lbs. And that is not even counting the likelihood of Gervonta Davis moving up to join the party. How do you see it playing out from a DAZN perspective?
If the fighters all agree to fight one another, daring to be great, it could make for years of amazing fights.
Q: We’re seeing a number of high-profile fighters talking about or making comebacks after years out of the ring - notably Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. Oscar De La Hoya has talked about a potential ring return recently. Do you believe that’s a serious possibility to happen? And something you’d like to stream on DAZN?
It’s definitely becoming a trend, and based on some of the early numbers, people are certainly tuning in to watch.
We’ll be watching the space, just like everyone else.
Q: You’ve spent the last few years at the centre of some of the biggest negotiations in boxing history. Can you give us a sense of how complex and difficult they are and any particularly interesting examples which spring to mind with specific fighters or deals?
The business of boxing is a challenge, no doubt. If you acquire Premier League rights, for the next three seasons, you get a set matches week in, week out. Boxing is a different beast. But that can make it all the more exciting, unpredictable and enthralling. We all know about the fights that never happened but just look at the fights we are showing in the new few weeks. It’s an exciting time to be a boxing fan and there’s more to come.
Q: What are your main areas of focus for the next 12 months from a boxing perspective? Where do you hope and expect to see DAZN in a year’s time?
Our global launch means we can now bring premium boxing to fans in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, and 2021 will be no different. We will work tirelessly to bring consistent world championship level boxing in combination with the best original programming onto the platform throughout the year. This is our focus in the first phase. Then over time, we’ll look to add more content from different sports. DAZN is a multi-sport broadcaster at its core, so expect to see other complementary sports being added over time.
Q: ‘Canelo’ Alvarez will be back on DAZN against Callum Smith on December 19 and you still have Gennady Golovkin under contract. It’s been no secret that DAZN would love to stream a third fight between them. How realistic do you think that is in 2021, and when might it happen?
Anything is possible. We’ll see how things take shape after next weekend’s fights.
