BMOTY: Saudi’s SURJ Sports Invest In DAZN
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In February 2025, Saudi Arabia’s SURJ Sports Investment, the dedicated sports investment arm of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), acquired a minority stake in global sports streaming platform DAZN.
The landmark investment, part of a $1bn strategic partnership, marks a major milestone for both entities.
Central to the deal is the creation of DAZN MENA, a joint venture focused on revolutionising sports media in the Middle East and North Africa. The initiative aims to localise and expand DAZN’s content offerings in the region, with a focus on both international and homegrown sports.
It represents a broader push by Saudi Arabia to position itself as a dominant player in the global sports and entertainment ecosystem, consistent with its Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the economy and increase international cultural influence.
For DAZN, the significant capital injection provides a major boost as it continues its push toward profitability. The funding will enable the platform to bid more competitively for premium sports rights, invest in original content, and enhance user experience through technological innovation. This is particularly crucial as DAZN continues to battle for market share against heavyweight broadcasters like Sky Sports, Amazon Prime, and ESPN.
The deal brings fresh investment into the UK’s media landscape and reinforces the country’s growing role in global sports streaming. Additionally, it may offer new opportunities for UK sports rights holders to reach broader international audiences via the DAZN platform, especially in the rapidly growing MENA region.
SURJ Sports Investment’s partnership with DAZN reflects our ambition to reimagine how fans engage with sport across Saudi Arabia, the MENA region, and globally.
Together, we are launching DAZN MENA, a joint venture that will deliver a premium, localized sports entertainment experience and unlock new broadcasting opportunities for the region’s growing sports sector.
This strategic alliance will help drive fan engagement, encourage sports participation, and showcase Saudi Arabia as a global destination for world-class sport and entertainment.
Through this investment, SURJ is helping build the infrastructure for the next generation of sports engagement.
SURJ SPORTS INVESTMENT
SURJ Sports Investment and DAZN are natural partners, committed to the unifying power of sports by making world-class sports rights available globally. DAZN is the only truly global entertainment platform dedicated to sport, which makes us ideally positioned to expand access to sports content globally from Saudi Arabia’s growing sports sector. As part of SURJ’s investment in DAZN, we will work closely on establishing DAZN MENA – a broadcasting joint venture.
The launch of DAZN MENA aligns with our commitment to maximise the reach and accessibility of sports, while delivering the best entertainment experience to a global community of passionate fans. This is a milestone partnership for the group, which will transform the sports entertainment landscape in Saudi Arabia and the wider region and will increase DAZN’s reach worldwide.
DAZN
The FEVO Sport Industry Awards 2025 Business Moment of the Year will be announced at the biggest night of the sport industry calendar, on Thursday 15th May at Evolution London, Battersea. Secure your table now.
