As announced by Entrevue for several months, the sports content platform DAZN, also broadcaster of Ligue 1 in France, announced this Monday the entry into the capital of SURJ Sports Investment, a Saudi company owned by the Saudi Sovereign Fund (PIF).
It is Shay Segev, the CEO of DAZN, who announced it in a statement. A decision taken by DAZN founder, multi-billionaire Leonard Blavatnik, in consultation with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad Bin Salman.
While the amount of the deal was not specified in today's press release, it has been rumored for months that the sum would be around a billion dollars. A sum roughly equal to the cost of broadcasting the next Club World Cup for DAZN, from mid-June to mid-July 2025.
It was on the professional social network LinkedIn that Shay Segev announced the definitive agreement with SURJ Sports Investments. The sports investment company, owned by the PIF, is therefore entering the shareholding of DAZN. And strengthening the company. DAZN was born in 2014, the British company has since made huge investments to develop.
SURJ's participation will be solely "minority", confirms the CEO.
Saudi Arabia is now a world leader in sports investment. In recent years, the Kingdom has brought boxing back into the spotlight, won the Dakar Rally, developed a Formula 1 race, and organized international events. wrestling, golf, tennis or even boosting its football championship… Among others.
Launched in 2023, SURJ Sports Investment “ is committed to investing in sports to drive international growth while improving the sports ecosystem in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. SURJ's strategy extends beyond direct investment in sports to include other essential elements of the ecosystem, such as broadcast, digital platforms, core programming and fan engagement initiatives, to drive audience participation and long-term growth of the sports industry"
The partnership between DAZN and SURJ is therefore win-win. For years, DAZN and Saudi Arabia have been circling each other. This agreement highlights excellent relations of trust. This deal should ultimately lead to the broadcast of the " best of Saudi sport and Saudi events to a global audience"
Through this agreement, SURJ et DAZN « will work closely together to create DAZN MENA, a joint venture that will open up new broadcast opportunities for Saudi Arabia’s growing sports sector and accelerate fans’ access to live and on-demand sports content"
