Press Releases

Perform Group rebrands as DAZN Group

Published

6 years ago

September 21, 2018

George Miller

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Business to be consolidated into two brands: DAZN and Perform Content

Perform Group, the digital leader in sports media, announced that it will be called DAZN Group and consolidated into two distinct brands: DAZN and Perform Content. Executive Chairman, John Skipper, said: “We have two enormous growth opportunities but they are distinct from each other. Consequently, we are re-organising to create dedicated management and standalone teams each with a clear and focused agenda and mission. We have an incredible opportunity to exploit significant shifts in sports media to drive great products to sports fans and create a company with ever more influence on the new sports media universe”.

DAZN will be the consumer-facing division, including DAZN itself, the world’s first dedicated live and on-demand sports streaming service, and some of the largest sports websites in the world, such as Goal.com, SportingNews, and Spox.com. The content and traffic of these websites and apps will focus increasingly on acquiring subscribers for and driving traffic to DAZN, as well as serving fans with fantastic sports content. DAZN will also use its combined assets and inventory to create market-leading, innovative packages for advertisers.

DAZN Group will be led by CEO and founder Simon Denyer and he will be joined by a new CFO, Stuart Epstein. Stuart has a 20-year track record at Morgan Stanley and has previously served as CFO for NBC Universal. James Rushton takes on a wider role as Chief Revenue Officer, responsible for all products, revenue, and marketing.

Perform Content will be responsible for the group’s B2B activities – continuing to provide world class sports data, news and video to the world’s leading broadcasters, digital companies and sports books. Perform Content will be given more resources and autonomy to invest in its primary products, such as Opta, Watch & Bet, and RunningBall.

The CEO of Perform Content will continue to be Ross MacEacharn and he will be joined by Ashley Milton as Perform Content Chief Financial Officer.

The two brands will each have their own governance and leadership but report into one board, chaired by John Skipper. DAZN and Perform Content will collaborate closely on a commercial basis. DAZN will use Perform Content data to power its products. Perform Content will continue to leverage and add value to global rights acquired by DAZN.

DAZN Group CEO and founder, Simon Denyer, said: “Perform Group has been one of the defining companies of the sports industry over the last decade. The exceptional growth and execution of DAZN in its first seven markets means we need to focus our efforts around our primary growth engine. Our B2B division continues to grow but now is the time for it to have its own separate identity and investment plan. We are delighted that it will continue to use the Perform name.”

DAZN will remain the main rights holding company for the group including its long-term partnerships with strategic partners such as WTA, FIBA, CONMEBOL, Matchroom Boxing, NFL and EHF.

Sir Leonard Blavatnik’s Access Industries, the privately held group with global investments in multiple sectors, will continue to be the major shareholder of DAZN Group and support the growth of both brands.

Industry News

SKS365 keeps investing in people: GROW People Management Program took the next level

Published

9 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Peter Tolan

Reading Time: < 1 minute

11 experienced people managers from the SKS365 group’s 4 locations gathered last week in Belgrade for the new GROW People Management Program. From 15 th to 19 th of April, through trainings, discussions, and social connections, people had the opportunity to further grow individually and as a team, while enjoying Belgrade’s city center and rivers.

Created in 2023 with the purpose of building foundation people management skills across the organization, GROW initiative evolved this year by including a new, advanced program for experienced people managers to further consolidate their skills and prepare for future opportunities.

Building and fostering connections, sharing experiences, and enjoying team building experiences – all these activities have been part of the GROWpmp agenda for the 11 people managers coming from Commercial, Product and Development, Finance, and Sportsbook departments of the group’s 4 locations – Malta, Italy, Austria, Serbia.

GROWpmp included a variety of topics that people managers in SKS365 recognized as the key areas for management development. Topics such as influence through communication, team effectiveness, DEI, through to presentation skills and business topics like understanding finance and management reporting, were delivered with the support of external professionals and internal experts, while designed and organized by the SKS365 People & Culture team.

eSports

North Star Network acquires Um Dois Esportes

Published

9 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Peter Tolan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

North Star Network are delighted to announce the acquisition of umdoisesportes.com.br, which becomes the latest addition to NSN’s global sports media portfolio.

Born from the GRPCOM merger of the editorial teams of Gazeta Do Povo and Tribuna do Paraná in 2020, Um Dois Esportes provides in-depth sports coverage and analysis for the Brazilian state of Paraná and beyond.

North Star Network co-founder Julien Josset said: “Thank you to the team at GRPCOM for their faith in us to take the brand forward. Um Dois Esportes is an established and renowned site in Paraná State, and we’re excited about the challenge of developing this asset.”

“We’re happy to maintain the collaboration with the existing editorial team, and look forward to working with them, bringing our unique NSN approach, to take UDE forward.” NSN’s signing of Um Dois Esportes is the media house’s fourth acquisition of 2024, following the recent deals to purchase UK-based SportsMole and MrFixitsTips, as well as Chilean site AlAireLibre, which was announced in March.

The latest addition to the North Star media portfolio joins existing assets including Top Mercato, Afrik-Foot, and Vringe. The Paris-based company already oversees a significant Brazilian operation, delivering over 6 million sessions per month, from the likes of Trivela, Premier League Brasil and Lakers Brasil.

NSN will retain Curitiba-based journalists from the Um Dois Esportes legacy team to maintain the asset’s unique tone and popular coverage of the Paraná sports scene across site and social.

“We were surprised by the interest, and initially had no intention of selling Um Dois, but as the conversations evolved, we realised this was a serious group with good intentions,” said GRPCOM Director Rafael Mello. “We were very happy to see our project being valued by a large international group and going global, demonstrating the quality of the content we produced.”

“We’re also proud that North Star inherited our journalists, who are truly responsible for the success of the product we offer readers every day.”

partnerships

BNXT League and PepperMill Casino join forces

Published

9 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Peter Tolan

Reading Time: < 1 minute

BNXT League , the professional men’s basketball league played across the Netherlands and Belgium, and PepperMill Casino, the online casino licensed in Belgium, are pleased to announce their partnership centered around the BNXT League’s Belgian Play Offs.

PepperMill Casino will be a naming partner of the Belgian play offs. For the 24-25 season, PepperMill remains a partner of the BNXT League until the restrictions on gambling advertising take legal effect on January 1, 2025.

The partnership between BNXT League and PepperMill Casino aims to create engaging and customized content that engages and captivates fans on multiple fronts while increasing brand awareness.

“The basketball community is growing and buzzing with excitement and energy,” stated Anthony Rus, General Director of PepperMill Casino. “This partnership allows us to create memorable moments that build brand awareness and capture the hearts of fans.”

“Wim Van de Keere, general manager of the BNXT League, adds, “The playoffs are undoubtedly the sporting highlight of the season. We are delighted to still be able to tie a dynamic partner like PepperMill Casino to us despite the restrictions coming up from 2025.”