Sports Streaming by Country: DAZN vs ESPN+ vs beIN Sports

Sports rights are sold by geography in 2-4 year cycles, creating a different winner in every country for every sport. The UEFA Champions League alone is broadcast by 57 different rights holders across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. No single global platform holds rights to any major sport in all territories — regulatory bodies in most countries require local broadcast partnerships, and the value of sports rights varies dramatically by market.

The economic logic drives the fragmentation. Premier League broadcast rights generated £10.8 billion ($13.5 billion) in their 2025–2028 UK deal — the most valuable sports package globally. The same content sells for a fraction of that price per-viewer in lower-GDP markets. Rights holders maximize revenue by territory-by-territory negotiation rather than a single global deal. This means the same Manchester United vs Arsenal match requires Sky Sports in the UK, Peacock in the US, DAZN in Germany, Canal+ in France, beIN Sports in the Middle East, and Star Sports in India — each at different price points. According to Sports Business Journal, the average sports fan must navigate 5.7 different services to access their full range of favorite sports.

DAZN operates in 200+ countries and holds the most diverse international sports streaming rights portfolio, though its content varies dramatically by market. DAZN was founded in 2016 by DAZN Group (formerly Perform Group) and has invested over $8 billion in sports rights since launch.

DAZN rights by major market: Germany — Bundesliga (exclusively until 2029), UEFA Champions League, Europa League, NFL Game Pass, boxing, tennis. Monthly cost: €14.99. Japan — NFL, NBA, MLB, Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga, Champions League, boxing. Monthly cost: ¥3,700 (~$25 USD). Canada — Champions League, Europa League, Bundesliga, Serie A, F1, boxing. Monthly cost: CA$24.99. Italy — Serie A exclusively (70% of matches), Champions League, Europa League. Monthly cost: €34.99 (highest DAZN price globally due to Serie A exclusivity). United States — Boxing and MMA focused; lacks the broad sports catalog of DAZN in other markets. Monthly cost: $19.99. Spain — Motorsport, boxing; limited football rights held primarily by Movistar+. DAZN is not available in Australia, China, or most of sub-Saharan Africa.

ESPN+ serves US viewers and is the best-value sports streaming service for American sports fans at $10.99/month or $109.99/year (2026 pricing). ESPN+ carries UFC (excluding PPV events), NFL Game Pass International (for out-of-market games), NHL, MLB, MLS, college sports (SEC Network, ACC Network, Big 12), international football through ESPN+ partners, cricket (via Willow TV deal), rugby (Test matches), and tennis (Wimbledon, US Open, Australian Open partial rights). The Disney Bundle ($13.99/month) adds Disney+ and Hulu to ESPN+ — this is the best value for combined sports and entertainment.

Outside the US, ESPN operates through regional platforms: ESPN Player in Europe and Latin America carries international US sports content. Star+ in Latin America (integrated into Disney+ in 2024) carries ESPN sports alongside Disney content — Copa Libertadores, MLS, NFL, NBA, and MLB rights for Latin American markets. In Australia, ESPN content is licensed to Fox Sports and Kayo. In the UK, ESPN content is licensed to BT Sport (now TNT Sports/discovery+). There is no way to subscribe to ESPN+ from outside the United States — it is geo-restricted to US IP addresses only.

beIN Sports is the dominant sports broadcaster across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), operating in 43 countries. beIN is owned by Qatari state media company Al Jazeera Media Network and holds some of the most valuable football rights in the MENA region. Monthly subscription: approximately $15–$18 USD in MENA markets, €15–€25 in Europe.

beIN Sports rights portfolio: Football — La Liga (exclusive MENA rights), Serie A, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Eredivisie, Brazilian Série A, UEFA club competitions (MENA), FIFA World Cup (MENA). Tennis — All four Grand Slams in MENA. Rugby — Six Nations, Rugby World Cup. Basketball — EuroLeague, NBA (partial MENA rights alongside Abu Dhabi Media). beIN SPORTS operates in Turkey with local Turkish sports coverage. In France and Spain, beIN SPORTS is available as a standalone subscription or add-on through telecoms providers — it carries strong Ligue 1 rights in France and La Liga coverage for Spanish viewers wanting premium coverage. The beIN Sports Connect app streams all channels in MENA, France, Spain, and Turkey. Access outside these regions requires a local subscription.

Kayo Sports is Australia's leading sports streaming service with 1.1 million subscribers (Foxtel Group Q4 2025 data). Owned by News Corp Australia through Foxtel Group, Kayo carries the broadest Australian sports rights portfolio of any streaming service. Monthly cost: AUD $25/month (Basic, 2 screens) or AUD $30/month (Premium, 3 screens). No contracts required — cancel anytime.

Kayo rights in Australia: AFL — all 207+ regular season matches plus finals. NRL — all regular season matches plus finals. Cricket — all Cricket Australia home series, Big Bash League, Sheffield Shield. Football (soccer) — A-League Men and Women, FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Formula 1 — all 24 grands prix in 2026. NBA — selected games. NFL — selected games plus Super Bowl. Tennis — Australian Open fully, Wimbledon, US Open, French Open partial. Golf — PGA Tour, European Tour, Australian PGA. Rugby Union — Super Rugby Pacific, The Rugby Championship, Wallabies test matches. Kayo is available only in Australia. International viewers must use Australian cable/satellite or legitimate local subscriptions while in the country.

The Premier League is the most-watched football league globally with 2026-2028 broadcast rights sold in 188 countries. Rights fees vary from tens of millions to billions of dollars per territory. Here is where to watch Premier League football in major markets:

India offers the best global value — the entire Premier League season is available for approximately $12/year through JioHotstar. UK viewers pay the highest rates globally for content produced domestically.