DAZN’s Prediction Market Push Faces a Hard Question: Can a Streaming Giant Compete, and at What Cost?
DAZN’s resolution to combine prediction markets into its US platform by way of a partnership with Polymarket goals to mix dwell sports activities streaming with real-time monetary hypothesis. But there are questions on regulation, competitors, and the publicity of youthful audiences to betting merchandise.
Speaking at the ICE 2026 commerce present, DAZN CEO Shay Segev framed prediction markets as a pure extension of fan engagement. He positioned DAZN alongside platforms corresponding to Kalshi, Polymarket, and Crypto.com. Yet DAZN’s entry comes at a time when the US prediction market is already crowded and more and more scrutinized.
Licensing first, product later
One of the clearest unknowns is regulatory standing. DAZN doesn’t presently function a CFTC-regulated prediction market and has confirmed it’ll apply for the mandatory licenses earlier than launching prediction buying and selling within the US. That places it behind incumbents corresponding to Kalshi, which spent years securing approval earlier than going dwell nationwide.
Without Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) standing or a monitor document in regulated derivatives, DAZN’s predictions product will initially rely closely on Polymarket’s infrastructure and liquidity. In the close to time period, Polymarket knowledge might be embedded immediately into DAZN broadcasts, with buying and selling performance depending on regulatory approval.
That dependency raises questions on how differentiated DAZN’s providing might be, given Polymarket’s robust model recognition.
DAZN is increasing what it means to expertise sport.
We’ve partnered with @Polymarket to convey a highly effective new actual‑time layer to the DAZN ecosystem.
From dwell & on‑demand sport to scores, information, FanZone and betting in regulated markets, DAZN already unifies the perfect of sport in… pic.twitter.com/unE4pKyR4Y— DAZN (@dazngroup) January 20, 2026
Competing with out a betting base
DAZN’s current betting arm, DAZN Bet, launched in 2022 and now operates within the UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy, and Germany. While administration cites betting as an more and more essential contributor to engagement, it stays a secondary income stream. Moreover, DAZN Bet shouldn’t be energetic within the US.
This leaves DAZN making an attempt to enter the American prediction market with out a longtime home betting buyer base. Competitors corresponding to Kalshi and Fanatics have centered closely on regulatory positioning and buyer acquisition, whereas Polymarket has benefited from viral development tied to political occasions.
DAZN’s benefit lies elsewhere in distribution. The firm is betting that predictions embedded immediately into broadcasts can convert passive viewers into energetic individuals, with hundreds of thousands of viewers tuning in to dwell sports activities.
Whether that conversion is ample to compete with standalone platforms stays an open query.
The underage publicity dilemma
According to Similarweb knowledge, DAZN’s audience is closely male. Apparently, its largest age group is between 25 and 34 years previous. However, as a world sports activities streaming platform, DAZN additionally attracts youthful viewers. This contains customers below 18, notably these fascinated about soccer, boxing, and fight sports activities.
Integrating prediction markets into the viewing expertise raises issues about how DAZN will segregate betting-related content material from minors. Unlike standalone prediction platforms, which usually require age verification at sign-up, DAZN’s core product is entertainment-first.
The firm has not but detailed the way it plans to firewall predictions from underage accounts, or how prominently prediction knowledge will seem throughout dwell broadcasts seen by mixed-age audiences. As regulators concentrate on playing publicity by way of digital media, this side may show decisive.
A $2.8b deal: How DAZN Polymarket will change our habits
DAZN sports activities streaming large has partnered with Polymarket
What is Polymarket?
It is the biggest prediction market platform, launched in 2020. Attracted tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} from main funds, like Founders Fund and… pic.twitter.com/rr4bF2BJ06— dionysiosfirst (@brightdio) January 23, 2026
Profitability strain behind the technique
DAZN’s transfer into predictions additionally displays mounting strain to achieve profitability. The firm has recorded losses for years, although its latest filings present a discount in deficits, with 2024 income rising to £3.2 billion and losses lowered to $877.5 million.
Management sees engagement monetization as the trail ahead. Predictions, alongside betting, FanZone interactions, and AI content material, are supposed to maintain customers energetic.
Still, prediction markets are low-margin companies until they obtain large scale. Without appearing as the home, DAZN’s upside is determined by elevated retention, cross-selling, and engagement relatively than direct buying and selling income.
DAZN’s partnership with Polymarket suits into a development of prediction markets shifting nearer to mainstream media.
As Shayne Coplan, Polymarket’s CEO, put it, “each sporting occasion is a dialog about what occurs subsequent.” DAZN is betting that dialog can develop into a product. Whether it turns into a worthwhile one and whether or not it may be executed responsibly at scale are questions regulators, rivals, and viewers might be watching intently.
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