DAZN has hugely expanded its global portfolio of football broadcasting rights with the addition of the National League System, the fifth and sixth tiers of English football.
The National League System encompasses the Vanarama National League, England’s fifth tier, and the National League North and National League South, the two components of the sixth tier.
DAZN will broadcast all National League matches in the UK and globally. The deal marks the London-based streaming platform’s first serious foray into domestic football broadcasting in its founding market of England.
The deal will encompass 557 National League matches, with a selection of the ‘top’ National League North and National League South matches. These fixtures will be distributed across 200 markets via web streaming, with live and on-demand content.
Mark Ives, National League System General Manager, remarked: “We are incredibly excited about this groundbreaking long-term joint venture with DAZN, one of the biggest players in sports broadcasting and the deal demonstrates the continuing growth and reach of the National League.
“The global exposure that DAZN will bring the league, and our clubs cannot be overstated. DAZN will be using their vast expertise in sports broadcasting and streaming to allow fans in both the UK, and internationally, to access live matches across all connected devices like never before.
“We look forward to working very closely with them to enhance the viewing experience for all fans that can’t be at the stadium, which we believe is to the full benefit of our clubs and supporters.”
The English football league differs from others in European football in that the lower leagues still play a significant overall role. Whilst in many countries such as Germany, France and Spain the semi-pro level begins around the third tier, in England, it does not start until the fifth tier.
Even then, the National League has still counted some prominent historical clubs among its members in recent memory. Notts County, the world’s oldest professional football club, competed in the National League for four seasons behind 2019 and 2023, for example.
Securing its first domestic deal in English football is a huge moment for DAZN. The company has previously expressed an interest in covering the Premier League in overseas markets like Southeast Asia, similar to other international agreements it has with the likes of Spain’s La Liga and France’s Ligue One.
Shay Segev, DAZN Group CEO, said: “DAZN’s technology makes us uniquely placed to create destinations for sports fans, and this multi-year partnership with NLS will allow us to create a global home for the National League, helping fans better access the teams they are so passionate about, while creating engagement opportunities to access new audiences.
“This is the latest in a series of channel deals which leverage DAZN’s scale and industry-leading tech stack to revolutionise the way rights holders increase exposure to domestic and international audiences and develop their sport digitally and commercially”.
