Deal includes creative agency Team Whistle

DAZN Eleven Team Whistle

DAZN has completed its acquisition of Eleven and creative agency Team Whistle.

The pair agreed the acquisition in September 2022, and it is now finalised following anti-trust review. It sees Eleven founder Andrea Radrizzani join DAZN’s board as an executive director, and support the the DAZN Group’s business development. 

DAZN also acquires Eleven’s rights across Europe and Asia. These include the Jupiler Pro League in Belgium, local baseball in Taiwan, and the likes of the Premier League and Champions League in Portugal. It also complements DAZN’s offering in Italy, DACH and Spain.

In addition to broadcasting its own content, Eleven also assists FIFA+ with its streaming technology. There is also social media creative agency Team Whistle, which brings over 700 million followers across all platforms, and a distribution network that generates five billion views per month.

The deal is predicted to add $300m (£278m) in revenue to DAZN Group. Guggenheim Securities acted as financial advisor to Eleven on the deal. 

Shay Segev, CEO of DAZN Group, said: “Today is a big moment as we officially welcome Eleven and Team Whistle to the DAZN family. This acquisition is an important element for our continuing growth - acquiring top quality rights, expanding in new markets in Belgium, Portugal and Taiwan, and developing our social reach and engagement by bringing Team Whistle’s network and expertise to DAZN. Overall, the deal adds scale and firmly establishes DAZN as a global leader in innovation and disruption as well as positioning us as the ultimate sports destination.”

Andrea Radrizzani, chairman of now former Eleven and Team Whistle owner Aser Ventures, said “I’m thrilled that Eleven and Team Whistle are now formally within the DAZN family, which will provide both DAZN and Eleven with new and complementary markets, synergies, and opportunities for growth. I’m looking forward to taking up an executive position on the board, and working closely with DAZN CEO Shay Segev and Marc Watson to build the leading global sports entertainment platform.”