Philips

Feb. 2, 2024 - New partnership sees Philips MediaSuite from PPDS become the first dedicated hospitality TV to feature the DAZN app – used by more than 300 million people monthly – bringing more than 30,000 live sports and entertainment events to hotel rooms around the world, for the first time.

PPDS is delighted to announce a new partnership with DAZN – the world’s leading sports entertainment platform and Europe’s largest football broadcaster – to bring its live and on-demand content streaming services into hotel guest rooms for the first time, exclusively via Philips MediaSuite hospitality TVs.

Set to be unveiled and demonstrated for the first time at ISE 2024 in Barcelona (Philips Booth 3P500), this latest global partnership strengthens PPDS’ clear and unrivalled mission to deliver the industry’s most extensive and flexible choice of in-room TV entertainment services for hotels, letting guests take full control of their viewing experiences.

Launched in 2016, and headquartered in London, UK, DAZN provides an extensive choice of live sports and entertainment, with top division men’s and women’s football/soccer, professional boxing, MMA, motorsport, wrestling, and tennis hosted on the platform annually.

Available in more than 200 countries – including a strong domestic presence with premium football/soccer rights in Italy, Spain, Germany, Japan, France, Portugal, Belgium, Taiwan, the United States, and Canada – DAZN has amassed more than 60 million subscribers and 300 million monthly users worldwide. Over 1.2 billion hours of content is streamed annually via the DAZN app, which – until now – has mainly been accessible via a range of connected consumer devices, including smartphones, tablets, and game consoles.

The complete package

As part of this exciting and groundbreaking partnership between DAZN and PPDS – a market leader for advanced Android SoC hospitality TVs around the globe – the DAZN app will be available for the first time via hotel guest room TVs, embedded directly onto Philips MediaSuite TVs.

Developed in partnership, and tailored exclusively for use on the Philips MediaSuite Series – the hotel TV of choice for some of the most recognised global hotel brands, including Accor, IHG, Marriot, and Radisson – the DAZN app will be available for hotels to offer to guests looking to enjoy (for example) the next big Anthony Joshua or Katie Taylor boxing match on the big screen during their stay.

For hotels wishing to subscribe to DAZN for their guests, there are two initial packages that can be selected depending on their target audience. DAZN Base, which is included in each of the packages as standard, will offer all sports for which DAZN has worldwide rights. This Base package can be added to with DAZN Ultimate – for core territories that have additional rights requirements, for example the Bundesliga in Germany.

Packing a punch

For more powerful, deeper immersive audio and visual experiences, hoteliers can also include the new Philips Professional Soundbar HAL5023 with a built-in subwoofer, designed and configured exclusively for Philips MediaSuite TVs, which will also be on show at ISE 2024.

Jeroen Verhaeghe, Global Business Development Director Hospitality, commented: “Philips MediaSuite was created to transform what had become an outdated and tired in-room TV experience. Running on Android, we wanted to provide hoteliers with a TV solution that could evolve with the needs of the customer and keeping pace with the trends in the market. This means providing them with what they need to let them take control of how, when, and by whatever means they prefer to consume their content.”

He continued: “We pride ourselves on responding quickly to changes in the market, including implementing new popular apps and services guests crave. We have shown that with our partnerships with the likes of Netflix and Apple TV+ in recent years and, with the popularity and demand for DAZN, we are thrilled to have been selected by their team to become the first global hotel TV manufacturer to offer their fantastic streaming service via Philips MediaSuite TVs.”

Rachelle Peterson, SVP Global Commercial Distribution at DAZN, added: “Here at DAZN, our focus is to ensure our customers have access to the best and widest range of quality content, while at the same time, having the best possible experience through our platform.

“Demand for our services continues to grow exponentially and we are always exploring opportunities to extend our reach further, and to bring even greater value to both new and existing customers, wherever they happen to be – including inside hotel rooms. We’re delighted to have partnered with PPDS, a company that shares our obsession for quality and experience, to debut our DAZN app inside guest rooms for the first time with Philips MediaSuite.”

Jeroen concluded: “If you are on holiday or away on business, the DAZN app on Philips MediaSuites means you can now enjoy all your favourite sporting events on your in-room TV in up to 4K resolution, together with great sound. At PPDS, our philosophy is always to lead from the front. This is demonstrated once again with our partnership with DAZN. The days of having to squint at a small smartphone or tablet display to enjoy quality sports in your hotel room are over. We look forward to demonstrating this great new platform at ISE 2024.”