SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
DAZN has strengthened its global expansion plans with the appointment of Apple’s Ben King, who takes up the role of SVP Global Distribution and Business Development.
King joins DAZN in February from Apple where, over his 12-year tenure, he worked at the forefront of some of the world’s most successful digital entertainment and media services including the iTunes Store, App Store and Apple Music.
Most recently, as Commercial Director for International Services, King had responsibility for Business Insights, Business Development, Strategic Partnerships and Content Licensing outside the US and played a pivotal role in driving the growth of Apple Music as it raced to 50 million subscribers in just three years.
King is tasked with spearheading DAZN’s growth strategy and building best-in-class commercial and distribution partnerships with the world’s leading platforms, telecom operators, retailers, brands and portals.
DAZN is currently live in seven countries across three continents and is launching in Spain and Brazil in early 2019, with ambitions to be in 20 markets by 2020 and to become established as a leading sports streaming service globally.
He will report into John Gleasure, Chief Business Development Officer, who outlined: “Ben is universally respected across the industry as an innovative and talented operator who delivers results for both partners and his services. His global experience and insight-driven approach will enable DAZN to grow faster and stronger as we extend our business deeper into both existing and new markets. We are delighted to get him onboard.”
Commenting on his new role, King, detailed: “From the first time I met the DAZN team, I was blown away by the product, the people and the ambition. DAZN has spotted an opportunity to develop a global sport streaming service before anyone else and is executing aggressively to extend its lead.
“Live sport may be the last holdout of the digital media revolution, but I have no doubt about the benefits of bringing fans closer to their favourite teams and sport stars through a more user-friendly, convenient and affordable service. The potential is staggering, and I could not be more excited about joining DAZN to help realise it.”
DAZN is available on nearly every connected device including TVs, smartphones, tablets, PCs and games consoles. DAZN streamed a record 200m hours of sport to millions of fans around the world in 2018 from the world’s leading sport competitions including English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1, NHL, NFL, MLB, Matchroom Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions. Launched in Japan, Germany, Austria and Switzerland in 2016, DAZN added Canada in 2017 and went live in Italy and the U.S in 2018.
