Consumer center plans lawsuit
DAZN increases the prices again – and significantly
1/11/2023, 4:05 p.m
If you watch the Bundesliga and other competitions, you can hardly avoid DAZN. Now the provider is causing a stir again within a very short time with price increases for new customers: The complete package is significantly more expensive. The consumer center wants to take action against this.
The Internet sports broadcaster DAZN has increased the subscription costs for some of its new customers with a new price structure. Nothing changes for existing customers, confirmed DAZN. The streaming service now offers three different packages for new customers.
If you want to see the complete offer, you pay EUR 39.99 (EUR 29.99 for an annual subscription) when you sign a contract with the option of monthly termination. The package is called DAZN Unlimited and costs ten euros more than the previous most expensive offer. It was not until the summer of 2022 that the price for the monthly subscription had practically doubled from EUR 14.99 to EUR 29.99. In the early days of DAZN, it still cost 9.99 euros.
Package number two is called DAZN Standard. It contains the Friday and Sunday Bundesliga games that are important for fans, as well as almost all Champions League games, and costs EUR 29.99 with a monthly cancellation option (EUR 24.99 for an annual subscription). Compared to the previous offer, cup games from England and Italy are missing.
Anyone who can do without the Bundesliga, Champions League and other league competitions in football books DAZN World. The entry-level package for EUR 9.99 includes darts, handball and tennis, among other things.
Consumer advice center plans class action lawsuit
The new pricing model has been widely criticized on Twitter. The Federal Association of Consumer Centers (vzbv) is currently trying to take action against the sharp rise in subscription costs with a class action lawsuit. “Many people have already reported, the database is filling up,” said Sebastian Reiling, the vzbv officer responsible for model declaratory judgments. It must now be examined whether the cases are suitable for a class action lawsuit.
DAZN has confirmed that it had already received a letter from vzbv in May last year. “We took the points raised in it very seriously and immediately sought legal advice from a leading international law firm,” the streaming service said. The issues are complex and technical. “DAZN remains convinced that its terms and conditions are in line with applicable law.”
The vzbv explained that in March 2022 it had sent DAZN a warning about the price increase clause. Injunction proceedings are currently underway at the Munich district court. “DAZN has changed the terms and conditions in the meantime,” said Reiling.