Perform Group’s sports streaming service DAZN is "turning to original lifestyle content such as documentaries, talk shows and podcasts to support its international expansion goals," according to Seb Joseph of DIGIDAY. When it launches in the U.S. in September, DAZN will have "little more" than boxing and MMA, so the service is "supplementing them with an original daily news show that will offer a lighthearted take on what fighters do outside the ring." The streaming service "wants to get into 20 markets" by '20, up from the five it operates in now. In the U.S., the "focus is boxing." As fights are watched on the service, DAZN will "use viewing data to decide what shows to commission to lure more subscribers." Earlier this summer, DAZN "launched its first documentary, which focused on a player" -- Dortmund MF Mario Gotze -- "rather than a team." DAZN CEO James Rushton said, “It’s about creating content that adds value but at the same time doesn’t encumber the business with additional costs that have to be passed on to consumers" (DIGIDAY.com, 7/31).
