DAZN Group has appointed Kevin Mayer as its new chairman of the board of director. Mayer will provide “strategic direction to DAZN’s strong leadership team as the company continues along its aggressive growth trajectory”, and joins from The Walt Disney Company where he was chairman of direct-to-consumer and international.
Mayer managed Disney’s streaming businesses including Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ and Hotstar, as well as overseeing the company’s global sales operations, having previously led the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, 21st Century Fox and BamTech as Disney’s chief strategy officer.
“As chairman, I’m looking forward to partnering with the management team and my fellow directors to help DAZN build on its impressive track record of success in developing a truly global sports platform,” Mayer explained. “Since I began working with Access Industries last year, I’ve been impressed with DAZN’s ambitions and ability to quickly grow from a new entrant to an important player in key markets throughout the world. I look forward to guiding DAZN’s strategic development into its next chapter.”
According to the announcement, John Skipper, who joined DAZN Group in 2018, is stepping down to focus his efforts on Meadowlark Media, a newly launched content company. He will remain on the DAZN group board of directors and also serve as a strategic adviser to DAZN.
Len Blavatnik, chairman of Access Industries and DAZN Group’s majority investor, added, “As the world of sports and media continues to transform, DAZN Group remains a key holding within the Access portfolio. A seamless transition from John to Kevin and the recent move to deepen the executive team’s expertise with Co-CEOs James Rushton and Shay Segev will accelerate the company’s momentum.”
