• by Alex Weprin , May 29, 2019

The subscription streaming sports video service DAZN (pronounced “da-zone”) has tapped Rob Stecklow to serve as its senior vice president of marketing for North America. 

In his new role, Stecklow will be responsible for all marketing activity in the U.S. and Canada, including creative, buying and customer experience. He will report to DAZN Executive Vice President of North America Joseph Markowski.

Stecklow was most recently with Verizon, where he led its sponsorship group and handled relationships with sports leagues. Before that he served in senior roles with the NFL and DirecTV. 

Stecklow joins DAZN at a pivotal time. The service has bet heavily on boxing and combat sports in the U.S., and is in the middle of its first season of “ChangeUp,” a live show with look-ins at MLB games.

In an interview at DAZN’s new offices on the 72nd floor of One World Trade Center, Stecklow says his team is preparing to flood the zone ahead of “key moments,” like major boxing matches, while also figuring out ways to expand the brand’s reach.

"My job is to heavy up around those events when they happen, but we also want to make sure people understand it is a broader appeal than just boxing,” he says. DAZN plans to “reenergize and reintroduce” the “ChangeUp” show, now that it has nearly a half season under its belt.

He also says the company will introduce more basic marketing, educating consumers about the basics of how and where to get and watch DAZN, beyond the sports events it has on tap.

“The brand launched in a big way, but we may need to step back and remind them this is an app-based program you need to download and sign up for. It is available on multiple devices,” he says. “Some of that stuff feels easy, and OTT is not new to market, but there is still some education for people, about how to get it, where to get it, how to sign in.”

In Canada, DAZN has exclusive rights to the NFL, as well as Premier League and Champions League soccer, making the third quarter of this year a big one for the streaming service there.

Stecklow says he expects a significant marketing push around that time, promoting the service as the “home of football” in Canada.