DAZN have confirmed they have reached an agreement to purchase Andrea Radrizzani’s Eleven Group. The sale has been completed for an undisclosed fee and will see the Leeds United owner appointed as the executive director of DAZN.
Radrizanni - the chairman and founder of the international sports broadcaster – first launched the company back in 2015. Eleven has channels in several different countries including the UK, Portugal, Japan, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Taiwan and Myanmar. Leeds visited the latter for a post-season friendly back in 2018.
It has rights to a number of European football’s elite competitions, with the Premier League, Champions League, Serie A, Bundesliga and La Liga among them. Following the completion of the deal, Radrizzani wrote on his LinkedIn : “Excited to announce, after much speculation, our agreement with DAZN Group for the acquisition of Eleven Group businesses.
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“A proud day for our business and team, and we look forward to working with Shay Segev and his team as we integrate the businesses and beyond.”
Radrizzani’s sale of Eleven will not have a direct impact on his ownership of Leeds, as his umbrella company Aser Ventures is what owns the Whites. They currently have a 56% majority stake in Leeds, with San Francisco 49ers Enterprises owning the remaining 44%.
The 49ers have an option to become the majority shareholder in 2024, but Radrizzani reiterated his commitment to the club during an interview with the Athletic back in August. He said: “There is no need to change. I’m happy. I dream to bring this club to play in Europe and then I’m happy to leave — so still some work to do here.
“We are very good friends with the 49ers, they are a solid partner, they let you work in peace and they are supportive. In this moment, there is nothing under discussion.
“They have, as you know, an option to take a majority in 2024. Maybe before or at that moment, something will be discussed. At this moment, we are super happy.”
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