Perform Group, the sports media company owned by billionaire Len Blavatnik, has rebuffed "a string of approaches" from U.S. tech firms and media powerhouses "to go it alone" in an attempt to become "Netflix for sport," according to Christopher Williams of the London TELEGRAPH. The former FTSE 250 company, which Blavatnik's Access Industries holding company took private two years ago, "recently held discussions with its advisers Morgan Stanley and big names such as Amazon, Facebook and YouTube" over potential equity investment, according to City sources. More traditional media groups "were also involved in the discussions" but Access, which also owns record label Warner Music and a stake in music-streaming service Spotify, "has opted to bankroll Perform’s ambitious expansion plans itself." Interest in Perform has increased in recent months "as the company launches its new online sport-streaming service, DAZN, around the world." The company "is understood to have no plans" to bring its streaming service to the U.K., however, because of the "prohibitive cost" of sports rights (TELEGRAPH, 8/20).
