Canadian cable and satellite providers will "no longer" carry "NFL Sunday Ticket," "NFL RedZone" and "NFL Game Pass," as London-based DAZN has "bought those rights in Canada for the next five years," according to John Kryk of the TORONTO SUN. All three will "launch in time" for NFL preseason games starting next month. DAZN, an arm of global sports media group Perform, is a "live and on-demand sports streaming service." DAZN Managing Dir for Rights & Strategic Development Alex Rice said, "Your average fan should think this is like Netflix. It will be available on all the major connective devices, including all the major TV manufacturers." Rice "confirmed that the usual cable and satellite access options are a thing of the past for NFL fans north of the U.S. border." Rice: "We are not going to distribute these NFL products to other pay platforms in Canada." Kryk notes the CTV and TSN family of channels under the Bell Media umbrella will "continue to show select NFL games on Sunday afternoons, in doubleheaders -- in addition to all marquee Sunday night, all Monday night and (new this year) all Thursday night games throughout" the '17 season. "Game Pass" alone "previously cost at least $300 annually in Canada." This year DAZN "offers two payment options to Canadians: $20 per month with no monthly minimum, or a $150 annual fee." A 30-day free trial is "offered to all." Kryk notes Canada is the fifth country for which DAZN has "bought all-games NFL rights, after Japan, Germany, Austria and Switzerland" (TORONTO SUN, 7/21). The FINANCIAL POST's Emily Jackson writes DAZN "becomes one of few legal sports streaming services catering to cord cutters in the Canadian market." As it stands, customers can "buy online streaming packages directly from major leagues, but many are subject to blackouts" (FINANCIAL POST, 7/21).
