Disney alum Mayer resurfaces at DAZN

Former Disney executive Kevin Mayer has been appointed chairman of the board at international sports streaming service DAZN after a brief, ill-fated spell at TikTok.

Kevin Mayer

Mayer will provide strategic direction to the DAZN leadership team’s growth strategy. He replaces John Skipper, who joined DAZN in 2018 but is stepping down to focus on his newly launched media company Meadowlark Media.

Mayer led The Walt Disney Company’s direct-to-consumer unit from inception in 2018 through the launch of ESPN+, the integration of Hulu and the roll-out of global streaming service Disney+.

He left in May last year to become CEO of shortform mobile video app TikTok and chief operating officer of its Chinese parent company ByteDance.

He left after just two months, however, after president Donald Trump threatened to ban the app in the US, alleging it was sharing data with the Chinese government – something Beijing and TikTok deny.

Mayer also recently joined Len Blavatnik’s Access Industries investment firm as a senior adviser, focusing on the media sector. Access has previously invested in DAZN.

UK-headquartered DAZN recently appointed Shay Segev and James Rushton as its co-CEOs.