Another day, another TV price increase: DAZN, the international sports streaming platform, has announced a staggering 50% price increase for its UK subscribers.
The news will disappoint both new and loyal customers who have been enjoying the platform’s extensive coverage of boxing events, featuring some of the sport’s biggest names.
The substantial price hike, which will see monthly fees for the annual subscription model jump from £9.99 to £14.99 (see full details below), has been met with anger from subscribers on social media, who are already threatening to leave the service.
What’s DAZN?
DAZN is an international sports streaming platform that launched back in 2016. It came to the UK in 2020 and is now available in many countries around the world.
DAZN focuses primarily on boxing. In addition to the monthly subscription, the platform regularly airs pay-per-view boxing events that require additional payments to watch.
In the UK, the boxing lineup includes 150 fights a year featuring international superstars such as Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Canelo Álvarez, Katie Taylor and Ryan Garcia, alongside a daily dose of boxing news on the DAZN Boxing Show.
DAZN also features mixed martial arts (MMA) content, including MMA Bushido, MMA Naciones, Oktagon MMA, King of Kings, Brave Combat Federation, and Muay Thai For Life – as well as wrestling and leading women’s football.
DAZN is available as a standalone streaming app on a variety of streaming devices, such as Amazon’s Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony and others, Android and iOS smartphones and more.
DAZN is also available as a linear channel on Sky (DAZN 1 HD), but only on Sky Q and Sky HD – it is NOT available on Sky Glass or Sky Stream.
Steep Increase in Subscription Costs
This week, DAZN announced a substantial price hike, both for new and existing subscribers.
The price increase has already taken place for new subscribers. Until recently, DAZN offered three pricing tiers for streaming subscribers: £19.99/month for the flexible pass (which you can cancel with 30 days’ notice), £9.99/month if you pay in 12 instalments, and £99/year if you pay upfront for a full year.
Now, however, there are only two pricing tiers:
- The 12-month contract, for £14.99/month (with a minimum term of 12 months)
- The Flexible monthly pass, for £24.99/month (with the first month available for £5)
On the annual contract, DAZN is offering new subscribers a free first month, which means the total cost over 12 months will be £164.89 (1 month free, followed by 11 months at £14.99/month).
At the moment, DAZN is also offering a free month of its subscription service, for those who purchase a PPV event for £19.99.
The new subscription prices are, of course, a significant increase from the previous annual cost of around £120 – especially at a time when almost every streaming and TV service is raising costs.
Existing DAZN subscribers’ prices will remain the same until they finish their current 12-month billing cycle.
When they renew, however, starting from their next billing date after May 16 2024, subscribers will see their monthly fees for the annual subscription model jump by 50%, from £9.99 to £14.99 per month.
The price hike, as outlined in an email sent to existing customers, is attributed to DAZN’s “enhanced sports offering”, which now promises over 150 fights every year.
Highlight events include major boxing showdowns like Fury vs. Usyk on May 18 and the much-anticipated British rematch, Taylor vs. Catterall, scheduled for May 25.
DAZN’s email to subscribers explains:
“We are bringing you more fights than ever before. We hope you’re enjoying our new packed schedule of over 150 fights a year.
“To continue to deliver the best year-round schedule, we’re updating our subscription pricing from 16 May 2024 onwards.
If you do nothing, the new price of your 12-Month Contract will be £14.99/month and will take effect at the end of your current 12-month billing period.”
DAZN Subscribers Voice Their Anger
As expected, the reaction on social media was swift and severe, with many subscribers expressing their frustration and anger over what they perceived as an unjustifiable price surge.
So DAZN now want £14.99 a month AND for us to pay PPV regularly on top of that. Absolute joke.
— RicoMc (@ricomc) April 16, 2024
Some are already threatening to cancel their subscriptions.
DAZN going up 50% a month from 9.99 to 14.99
Oh well. Was good whilst it lasted but I'm not swallowing that price rise
— thelatvianelectrician (@thelatvianelec) April 16, 2024
Of course, it’s worth remembering that many of the most highly anticipated fights will incur extra PPV payments, though some are also available on other platforms, such as TNT Sports Box Office.
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