Streaming service DAZN has told sports leagues it will not pay rights fees for any suspended or canceled games amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The streaming service is the first media company operating in the United States that has decided to withhold fees, which are paid to sports leagues for the right to air events, as broadcast networks have traditionally continued to pay the fees when games have not aired. The move was first reported earlier on Tuesday by Sports Business Journal.
With payments due at the end of March or beginning of April, the company told partners that it will only pay for games played, said the person, who asked not to be named because of the sensitive nature of the matter.