DAZN hit by storm of criticism after renewed Serie A problems

Italian regulator AGCOM has intervened for a second time after sports streamer DAZN experienced technical problems streaming coverage of the new Serie A football season.

The watchdog said it had asked DAZN to provide clarification and provide information on how it planned to resolve the issue.

“Following serious problems registered during the transmission of the first match day of the Serie A championship and of the receipt of numerous reports, AGCOM has asked DAZN for urgent clarification on what happened and how the company is working to avoid the repetition of these problems on the second day,” it said.

The regulator also asked DAZN to provide compensation demand after its previous intervention “promptly” and said it reserved the right to take any necessary legal measures.

DAZN’s problems met with a storm of criticism, exacerbated by a hike in subscription fees from the streamer and the fact that the season kick-off occurred in the middle of fraught general election campaigning following the collapse of the Draghi coalition government.

Politicians across the political spectrum united briefly to condemn the streamer. The centre-left Democratic Party called for reimbursement of monies paid by subscribers, while opposition right-wing and far-right politicians including Matteo Salvini, Maurizio Gasparri and Carlo Calenda also weighed in.

DAZN apologised and said it would compensate affected customers who were unable to access coverage of the championship.

The company also set up an alternative link for customers to use to follow matches.

The Lega Serie A sent DAZN a letter demanding action, in which it reportedly said that the problems experienced would lead to “irreparable damage”.

Italy’s consumer protection organisation Udicon also condemned DAZN’s explanation for the problems and criticised the league for selling the rights to the streamer without fully verifying its ability to deliver a service.