Next in Media — Episode Summary

Podcast: Next in Media
Host: Mike Shields
Guest: Walker Jacobs, Global CRO & US President, DAZN
Episode: Dazn’s Walker Jacobs on Lessons From Streaming Global Sports Events, and What’s YouTube in for with Its First NFL Game
Date: September 2, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode dives into DAZN’s ambitious moves in global sports streaming, focusing on the company’s execution of the newly reimagined FIFA Club World Cup, lessons from running complex international events, and broader trends in sports media. Host Mike Shields and DAZN’s Walker Jacobs discuss the strategic thinking behind sports streaming, the impact of big tech (like YouTube and Amazon) on sports broadcasting, and the evolution of the sports and advertising ecosystem worldwide.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. DAZN’s Global Scope & Sports Rights

• DAZN is now the world’s largest sports streaming service, with over 90,000 live events annually, available in 200+ territories.
  • Jacobs: “We’re one of the largest, if not the largest provider of sports in countries like Germany and Italy and Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Japan and many others.” [01:12]
• Unlike the perception that DAZN only repackages US sports abroad, its focus is on local rights in major markets (e.g., La Liga in Spain, Bundesliga in Germany, Serie A in Italy).
• DAZN holds major international rights, like NFL Game Pass International and an upcoming NHL partnership, offering comprehensive access to American sports for global fans.

2. FIFA Club World Cup 2025: A Massive Streaming Undertaking

• Background: FIFA wanted to reimagine the Club World Cup as a mega event, leading to a partnership with DAZN as the global broadcaster and producer.
• DAZN delivered 64 matches (originally planned as 63), involving top clubs from all major footballing regions and broadcasting in 13 languages to nearly 200 countries.
  • Jacobs: “It was by far the most ambitious thing that we’ve ever done.” [04:06]
• The event was offered free on DAZN globally to maximize reach, with additional distribution partnerships (e.g., TNT Sports in the US, TelevisaUnivision for Spanish-language audiences).
• Jacobs describes the immense technical and operational challenge of scaling up DAZN’s global streaming infrastructure in under six months, with high stakes for both technology and fan experience.
  • Quote: “We thought that we were building the capacity to have it be the most streamed event in the history of the world... the level of complexity was high.” [07:43]
• Partnerships balanced between exclusivity and maximizing exposure, varying by market maturity.
  • Jacobs: “In countries where we’re fully distributed and... have millions of customers... It’s less controversial. It’s easier to do [exclusivity], and the upside of the linear partnerships is less obvious.” [12:56]

3. Lessons from Orchestrating Global Sports Events

• The condensed timeline demanded rapid coordination across tech, talent, advertising, and international partners.
• Despite anxiety over unpredictable variables, the team delivered a seamless product.
  • Jacobs: “You do everything you can to prepare... but when you’re doing something that’s never been done before, there are always complexities and variables you didn’t expect.” [10:26]
• Strategy included choosing when to keep rights exclusive and when to partner with linear broadcasters to drive broader exposure, especially in the US and emerging markets.

4. The State of Sports in Media & Advertising

• Sports content remains the linchpin of both traditional and digital broadcasting, driving advertising spend and viewership.
• Linear networks rely on sports to retain audiences, while streamers see sports as key to growth, engagement, and reduced churn.
  • Jacobs: “I think 80 of the top 100 broadcasts in 2024 were live sports.” [15:47]
• Streaming technology is raising fan expectations, with capabilities like interactivity, addressability, and audience measurement beginning to differentiate digital from linear experiences.

5. The Evolution of Tech Giants in Sports Streaming: Lessons for YouTube

• Jacobs revisits his experience launching exclusive NFL Thursday Night Football on Amazon, describing the importance of meeting basic delivery requirements before innovating with ad tech and interactivity:
  • Memorable Moment: “Our North Star was: don’t screw it up... deliver a great match and a great broadcast.” [20:01]
• Key Takeaway: Success required fitting into the established ad marketplace, not trying to overhaul everything at once.
  • Jacobs: “We wanted to... participate in the marketplace in a way that customers wanted to work with us.” [21:00]
• On YouTube’s first NFL game:
  • The infrastructure and sales playbook are now better established, but selling just one week-one game is tougher than it seems, given how buyers plan campaigns.
  • Jacobs: “Selling one NFL game early in the season, an island... It’s harder than people think it is.” [27:24]

6. DAZN’s US and International Horizon

• Boxing remains DAZN’s anchor content in the US, but partnerships like the Club World Cup have expanded visibility with mainstream brands and agencies.
• DAZN is introducing a slate of US original programming, leveraging its Whistle Sports arm (notably its MCN and original series on YouTube and social platforms). Content like “Downs to Business” aims to bridge the worlds of social-native sports content and premium live streaming.
  • Highlight: “We’ll embargo them so they’ll be exclusive on DAZN for a period of time, and then they’ll go wide as podcasts and as live shows.” [29:04]
• DAZN is accumulating more Spanish-language soccer rights, with an eye toward strategic, sustainable US growth.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On streaming scale:
  “We were in 13 languages and broadcasting into, you know, 196 countries and, you know, 200 plus territories around the world... the level of complexity was high.” — Walker Jacobs [07:43]
• On launch nerves:
  “When the tournament’s getting ready to start, you cross your fingers... You do everything you can to prepare... But, you know, when you’re doing something that’s never been done before, there are always complexities and variables you didn’t expect.” — Walker Jacobs [10:19-10:26]
• On sports and TV:
  “It’s almost an existential requirement [for linear networks] to keep sports, to keep the lights on.” — Mike Shields [15:38]
• On tech and innovation pacing:
  “We really resisted sort of moving too quickly... focused on delivering the basics and proving... we could deliver a great broadcast.” — Walker Jacobs [21:04]
• On advertiser expectations in sports streaming:
  “If you’re a new entrant and you think that you have the ability to change the way everybody... [does things], good luck with that.” — Mike Shields [21:00]
• On the challenge facing YouTube’s NFL debut:
  “Selling one NFL game early in the season, an island... It’s harder than people think it is. But I have no doubt it’s going to do a great rating.” — Walker Jacobs [27:26]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• DAZN overview & international rights: 01:12 – 03:33
• Club World Cup explanation and execution: 03:33 – 13:31
• Technical/logistical lessons from Club World Cup: 07:43 – 13:31
• Changing sports media landscape: 15:01 – 17:16
• Lessons from Amazon’s NFL deal / What YouTube faces: 19:02 – 25:49
• DAZN’s US strategy, original content, and future moves: 27:40 – 32:03
• Closing thoughts on DAZN’s US ambitions: 32:03 – 33:11

Flow & Tone

The conversation is candid, energetic, and sprinkled with industry insider storytelling. Walker Jacobs shares practical lessons, big-picture strategies, and behind-the-scenes stories from major media launches. Mike Shields keeps the discussion accessible while drawing out the real-world implications for marketers, tech players, and sports fans alike.

For listeners and industry observers, this episode delivers a roadmap to how major sports rights are being reimagined for the streaming era—highlighting both the complications and new possibilities as media, technology, and global fandom increasingly intersect.