Segev made sole CEO at DAZN while company hires Amazon Prime Video finance director as CFO

Shay Segev

DAZN has announced a major executive shakeup that will see Shay Segev serve as the company’s sole CEO.

Segev joined the company in June 2021 to act as co-CEO alongside DAZN co-founder James Rushton, who will remain in the company to oversee “growth in local markets, rights and content.”

A well-known face in the sports industry, Segev’s hire was initially considered something of a coup, with the executive highly regarded as CEO of gambling firm Entain, which owns the likes of Ladbrokes, Coral and Gala. He is attributed to overseeing a major period of growth for Entain, where the company went from being a “small entrepreneurial business” to having a capitalisation of £10 billion.

DAZN said that the new group structure will enable it to realise its growth and product strategy. 

The company has also announced the hire of Amazon Prime Video’s international finance director Darren Waterman as its group chief financial officer. Current CFO Stuart Epstein will transition to the role of senior advisor during the first half of 2022 while remaining on DAZN’s board.

Kevin Mayer, DAZN group chairman, said: “DAZN has become the global leader in sports streaming in just five years and it is time to take this business to the next level. Shay’s technology background and outstanding history of delivering a strong performance culture will be hugely beneficial as DAZN introduces additional interactive fan engagement services such as betting and e-commerce for users to enjoy alongside our core offering of live sports streaming. James’ expertise in sports rights and deep understanding of the markets will ensure that DAZN continues to nurture and grow its core business. 

“We thank Stuart for his many valuable contributions and look forward to his on-going involvement in this new capacity and we are delighted to be onboarding such strong talent as Darren Waterman. Being able to attract such high calibre individuals is a testament to the strength of our business and our future.”

The announcements come shortly after it was reported that DAZN was on the verge of a US$800 million deal to acquire BT Sport. A deal for the broadcaster would give it a major position in the UK market and give it a significant rights portfolio which includes UEFA club competitions, the English Premier League, Serie A, MotoGP and others.