DAZN have agreed a deal to acquire EverPass Media, the commercial sports distribution company co-founded by Gerry Cardinale's RedBird, in a move that pushes the streaming platform into the United States market.
For Milan fans, Cardinale's business dealings away from the club are worth watching because they sit alongside RedBird's ownership of the Rossoneri, and the money and relationships behind them shape the ownership's wider footing in football.
The acquisition, confirmed in a statement on EverPass's official website, marks the full global launch of DAZN for Business, a platform aimed at bars, restaurants, hotels and other commercial venues around the world. The company described the deal as combining DAZN's global scale and premium content with EverPass's position in commercial sports distribution in the US, giving DAZN a presence in one of the largest sports markets anywhere.
Cardinale set out the thinking behind the tie-up in the release. "RedBird and 32 Equity founded EverPass as sports content continues to move to streaming while many businesses remain tied to legacy distribution," he said. "EverPass delivers a purpose-built streaming platform which will help anchor DAZN's commercial business and US expansion. We're looking forward to working closely with DAZN in this next phase to scale the EverPass business globally."
Away from the boardroom, Cardinale is expected at San Siro on Tuesday night for Milan's first home game of the season, as Ruben Amorim's side look to back up the opening win over Torino with three points against newly-promoted Venezia.
Before that, his attention was in Monte Carlo. According to Tancredi Palmeri, Sportitalia's correspondent for the Champions League draw, Cardinale held a face-to-face meeting with UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin on Sunday evening.
The gathering was not a one-on-one. Paris Saint-Germain owner Nasser Al-Khelaïfi was present, as was Inter president Beppe Marotta. What was discussed has not been disclosed.
The DAZN deal is closed and clear; the UEFA meeting is the one to watch, and with Čeferin, Al-Khelaïfi and Marotta in the room, whatever was agreed will surface soon enough.