By Jonathan Easton
DAZN has signed an eight-season rights deal with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for the AFC Champions League in Japan.
The deal will see DAZN broadcast coverage of the competition in Japan starting from the 2021 season, which will kick off on June 22.
In addition to the AFC Champions League, the agreement also covers the governing body’s major national team and club competitions. This includes the AFC 2022 World Cup qualifiers, the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 and the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022.
For DAZN, the deal complements its significant portfolio of rights in Japan which includes the J.League – which itself was extended to 2028 last August – Nippon Professional Baseball, FIBA Basketball World Cup and Formula One among others.
Executive vice president, DAZN Japan Martyn Jones said: “We are delighted and excited to have been awarded the AFC Champions League rights for eight seasons. Investment in Japanese football has been central to our group strategy since launching in 2016, and we’re 100 per cent committed to enhancing the industry.
