UFC’s parent company is now tied to one of boxing and combat sports’ biggest streaming platforms. DAZN announced Wednesday it has agreed to acquire EverPass Media, and TKO Group Holdings is becoming a minority shareholder in DAZN as part of the deal.
RedBird Capital Partners and 32 Equity, the NFL’s strategic investment arm, are also becoming minority shareholders in DAZN. Financial terms were not disclosed.
EverPass will formally rebrand as DAZN for Business once the acquisition closes, with the platform serving as the foundation for DAZN’s next generation of commercial venue distribution. Alex Kaplan, EverPass’ CEO, will stay on to lead the business and take a larger role within DAZN.
TKO first invested in EverPass back in 2024, so this isn’t the promotion’s first tie to the company. Mark Zhu, TKO’s Chief Strategy Officer, said the promotion is glad to keep backing EverPass through the move to DAZN, calling live sports a unifier for fans watching beyond the home or arena.
It’s the latest example of TKO leadership and the company itself branching out into other corners of the sports and media world. TKO executives Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro were approved as minority owners of the Las Vegas Raiders back in May, and now the parent company itself is picking up a stake in DAZN.
Existing EverPass customers won’t see any interruption in service as a result of the acquisition.
