DAZN acquires women-led platform Ata Football

Leading sports streaming service DAZN Group has announced it has acquired US-based women’s football platform Ata Football.

The sports and entertainment provider delivers premium live and curated women’s football content. The free content platform includes live and on-demand matches and highlights of premium women’s soccer leagues, including: D1 Arkema, FLYERALARM Frauen-Bundesliga, Serie A Femminile TIM and UEFA Women’s Champions League. Along with, football series productions, interviews, behind-the-scenes programming, virtual & real events, podcasts, player spotlights, and player development content.

Prior to the acquisition, the Ata Football app was available on both Google and Apple mobile devices, as well as home devices with Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV.

DAZN has been making moves to grow its women-led sports content, following the launch of its FAST channel DAZN Women’s Football on FAST operators such as Pluto TV and Rakuten. The channel provides coverage of the UEFA Women’s Champions League and the women’s LaLiga football league. The sports streamer is also behind the women-focused platform DAZN Rise which includes a selection of live and highlights content from the UEFA Women’s Champions League, the French and Spanish first leagues, the women’s Bundesliga, as well as golf, handball, hockey and martial arts.

The company also currently holds the rights to FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and the National Women’s Soccer League.

Shay Segev, DAZN Group CEO said, “DAZN and ata football share the same view when it comes to women’s football, the strength of game lies in its participants, fans and distinct appeal. By harnessing these characteristics, we believe that DAZN can build on the foundations our investment in the women’s game has delivered so far.

“The progress that has been made in creating visibility for competitions like the UWCL, LigaF, Frauen Bundesliga amongst others, has seen value created in the whole ecosystem,” he added. “With Esmeralda and Hannah joining the team at DAZN to establish a women’s sport business unit, we are confident that DAZN will keep setting the pace in this area of huge potential, as well as establishing even better and greater links with the communities that are driving the women’s game on to ever-increasing heights.”

Ata football co-founders, Esmeralda Negron and Hannah Brown, said, “Over a million young girls play grassroots football in the US alone and are largely unconnected to the professional women’s game. Over the last few years, we’ve witnessed the rise of women’s football in the storied clubs of Europe, significant investment, and development of leagues across all markets, exponential growth of national team football and advocacy across the landscape. Now is the time to build the product, partnerships, and experiences to fuel the women’s football ecosystem and become the global community for fans and players of the game.