DAZN Japan will live-stream all 104 matches of the upcoming North and Central America World Cup, which kicks off on June 11 (Japan time). In an exclusive interview with Sports Hochi, DAZN Japan CEO Yutaka Sasamoto revealed the reasoning and strategy behind acquiring the costly streaming rights amid a shifting sports broadcasting landscape.
Why did DAZN manage to secure the rights to all 104 matches? The answer lies in a blend of passion, prestige, and a clear opportunity. Sasamoto explained: “We started streaming the J.League in Japan in 2017, followed by Asian World Cup qualifiers and the Club World Cup. Over the past decade, we’ve built the image of DAZN as synonymous with soccer. But the World Cup remained the missing piece. Completing that story—making DAZN the go-to platform for soccer—required decisive action, and now was the right time.”
Following the trend set by the 2022 Qatar tournament, terrestrial broadcasters will not air every match this time. Soaring broadcasting rights fees have transformed the viewing environment for sports events. Even the World Cup, the world’s largest sporting spectacle with viewer numbers surpassing the Summer Olympics, has seen sharp cost increases.
“We assessed the financial projections and determined it was a justifiable investment,” Sasamoto said. “It’s not a comfortable calculation, but it’s a meaningful and important investment for us.”
This spring, Netflix’s exclusive streaming of the baseball WBC sparked heated debate. Many viewers still resist paying for sports broadcasts. Sasamoto acknowledged: “We’ve faced quite harsh criticism along the way to reach this point.” He added: “Netflix’s move added diversity to the sports viewing landscape. However, the World Cup is an event that the entire nation should support. As a specialized sports streaming provider, we feel it’s our duty to create an environment where more people can watch, through our corporate efforts.”
Although DAZN is a subscription service, it will offer free streaming for Japan’s three group-stage matches, the semifinals, and the final. “At least in the near future, there is no bigger sports event than the World Cup. We still have room to expand our audience, so we decided within the company to focus on medium- to long-term returns rather than short-term gains,” Sasamoto explained.
In this tournament, Japan’s matches will be broadcast as follows: the first match against the Netherlands and the third against Sweden on NHK, the second against Tunisia on Nippon TV. Other key matches will air on Fuji TV, while DAZN streams every game—making four broadcasters involved in live coverage.
Terrestrial broadcasters are also competitors in World Cup coverage. Sasamoto aims to differentiate DAZN’s offering while boosting excitement for the event. “We’re the only ones live-streaming every match, so we want fans to enjoy the full 104-match storyline. Our unique features include real-time data visualization of match statistics and Fan Zone functions for an interactive cheering experience. Plus, given the time difference, viewers can watch according to their lifestyle—during commutes, school hours, or work breaks.”
This year’s World Cup marks the first expansion from 32 to 48 teams and the first co-hosting by three countries (USA, Canada, Mexico). Japan, making its eighth consecutive appearance, has set a goal of winning the tournament, aiming to surpass its best-ever round-of-16 finish.
“Together with NHK, Nippon TV, Fuji TV, and ourselves, we hope to deliver broadcasts that amplify the World Cup excitement. If the whole nation participates in supporting the players, it will inspire the next generation,” Sasamoto said.
Key initiatives from DAZN for World Cup streaming:
Advanced Technology: Real-time graphics showing shot speed, player top speed, pass and shot trajectories for 38 matches. “Multi-angle view” allows split-screen viewing of specific players, benches, etc.
World Cup Ambassadors: Actors Ryo Narita and Miru Uchida, along with defender Yuto Nagatomo. Former Japan defender Atsuto Uchida serves as Dream Leader.
Anthem: Rock band ORANGE RANGE has written the theme song “1000%,” marking their first World Cup song since “Champion” for the 2006 Germany tournament.
