DAZN has appointed Eleven Group co-founder Marc Watson as chief commercial officer after acquiring the rival sports streamer this month.
Watson succeeds Jacopo Tonoli, who has been CCO since DAZN launched in 2016. According to DAZN, he “dares new things”. Tonoli, who worked with DAZN’s predecessors, remains with the company as a special advisor.
Watson co-founded Eleven with Italian businessman Andrea Radrizzani in 2015 and served as CEO until the company was sold to DAZN earlier this month in a multi-million dollar deal.
Prior to Eleven, Watson was chief executive of BT’s television division. BT Sport and Warner Bros Discovery announced this week that their sports joint venture, which will be a major competitor to DAZN in the UK and Ireland, will be called TNT Sports.
At DAZN, Watson will lead the rights and content acquisition strategy and drive other commercial initiatives within the London-based group.
“Marc has an impeccable record in the sports media and entertainment industry. His experience will be invaluable to us as we continue to innovate and improve the way people around the world watch sports,” said Shay Segev, CEO of DAZN. “I would like to thank Marc’s predecessor, Jacopo Tonoli, who has been with DAZN since 2008 and was instrumental in developing DAZN into the extraordinary company it is today. We wish him all the best for the future.”
Watson added: “DAZN’s ambition and customer proposition is extremely compelling. They invest in and develop a sports entertainment offering that redefines the way fans enjoy sports, delivering engaging and interactive products that showcase content to rights holders. I am delighted to be part of such an ambitious and dedicated team of like-minded professionals for the next chapter of DAZN’s journey.”
Source: Deadline
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