Boku Inc. Announces Global Partnership with DAZN to Expand Digital Content Distribution

Fast-growing sports OTT service adds innovative payment options to provide more viewers access to live and on-demand sports entertainment

LONDON, May 22, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Boku Inc (AIM: BOKU), the world’s leading independent carrier commerce company, announced a global partnership with DAZN, the world’s first pure-sport live and on-demand streaming service, to allow subscribers to sign up and pay for the service using their mobile phone, broadband and pay TV accounts.

The collaboration will represent the first time that Boku has enabled payment capabilities through internet service provider (ISP) and traditional broadcast TV billing systems, significantly extending DAZN’s global audience reach.

Through the agreement, Boku will enable direct carrier billing and carrier bundling payment options for DAZN customers, allowing both cord cutters as well as traditional TV viewers to pay for their DAZN subscription directly via their mobile phone bill, their ISP bill and their broadcast television bill.

These payment options will be available later this year to DAZN subscribers across the world. DAZN operates in 9 countries today - Austria, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Canada, Italy, United States, Spain and Brazil - and is expanding rapidly.

The collaboration between Boku and DAZN was born in response to increasing fragmentation in consumer attention and the media landscape. In 2018, nearly 765 million people worldwide used a subscription over-the-top (OTT) video service at least once per month, representing 10.2% of the global population, according to eMarketer. 

“DAZN has shifted the sports streaming paradigm with their diverse programing and global appeal,” said Jon Prideaux, CEO, Boku Inc. “Boku is thrilled to work closely with DAZN to bring innovation to the OTT industry and to simplify the way that viewers can access sports content, regardless of how they decide to watch.”

“One of the fundamental principles of DAZN is to allow sports fans to watch their favourite sport on their terms - however, whenever and wherever they want. By partnering with operators and Boku, we are now extending that flexibility and ease-of-use by allowing subscribers to choose to seamlessly sign up and pay via their existing billing mobile, broadband or Pay TV bill,” said Ben King, SVP Global Distribution and Business Development, DAZN. “Carrier billing and bundling represents the first step of our extensive new DAZN for Operators program that we will be expanding during the course of 2019.”

About Boku Inc.
Boku Inc. (AIM: BOKU) is one of the world’s leading providers of carrier commerce and mobile identity solutions. Boku's technology platform, which is linked to more than 170 mobile network operators worldwide, verifies user identity, executes payments, and provisions new services, simplifying daily mobile interactions between consumers and digital organizations.

Boku's technology platform is used in over 58 countries with over 650 million verified transactions in 2018, contributing $3.6 billion to the digital economy. Businesses that currently employ Boku’s platform to simplify sign-up, acquire new paying users and prevent fraud include global leaders such as Apple, Discover, Experian, Facebook, Fiserv, Google, Microsoft, Netflix, PayPal, Sony, Spotify, Uber and Western Union.

Boku Inc. was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in London, UK, with offices in various locations globally including in the US, Mumbai, Munich, Beijing, Paris, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Taipei, and Tokyo.

To learn more about Boku Inc., please visit: https://www.boku.com

Contact:
Jeff Fisher
Global Director, Brand Marketing & Communications
jeff.fisher@boku.com

About DAZN Group
DAZN Group is the digital leader in global sports media and one of the fastest growing sports media companies in the world. Headquartered in the UK and with almost 3,000 employees in over 30 countries, our businesses touch every aspect of the way fans engage with sports from broadcast planning and production through to content distribution and commercialisation. DAZN Group is home to DAZN, the world's first pure-sport live and on-demand streaming service, as well as some of the most popular sports websites, including Goal, Sporting News, and Spox.com. DAZN is leading the charge to give sports fans around the world access to sport anytime, anywhere. DAZN guarantees no long-term contract, just one affordable price for access on all devices including TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. DAZN is live in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, the USA, Canada, Japan and Brazil. Visit https://media.dazn.com for more information.

About Access Industries

Founded in 1986 by Sir Leonard Blavatnik, the British and American industrialist and philanthropist, Access Industries is a privately-held group with strategic investments in the United States, Europe and South America. With corporate offices in New York, London and Moscow, its holdings include a number of market-leading companies in the natural resources and chemicals, media and telecommunications, venture capital and real estate sectors. Access Industries’ investments in the media and entertainment sector include Warner Music Group, Deezer, AI Film, and DAZN Group. Visit www.accessindustries.com for further information.