In the summer of 2022, DAZN drastically increased its subscription prices, which led to great dissatisfaction among customers. Now the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations has filed a class action lawsuit against the streaming provider. The lawsuit will be heard at the Hamm Higher Regional Court.
The most important facts in brief
- in 2022, DAZN doubled its prices from 14.99 euros to 29.99 euros per month.
- Consumer advocates consider the price increase clause to be non-transparent and ineffective.
- The statement of claim has been served on the court and the register of claims will be opened in England.
- It is not yet clear when the lawsuit will be resolved.
Price increase and reactions
In recent months and years, many customers of streaming providers have been in for a nasty surprise. After all, many services increased their prices without further ado, primarily to cope with the rising energy costs of their server farms. The best example is Spotify. The music streaming service even increased its monthly subscription costs twice in 2024. But Dazn did not remain idle either, much to the annoyance of its users.
In the summer of 2022, the streaming service for sports fans even doubled its subscription prices, which caused outrage among many sports fans. The monthly costs rose from 14.99 euros to 29.99 euros. DAZN justified this increase with higher costs for broadcasting rights and investments in the platform. Consumer advocates, however, criticized the lack of transparency of the price increase clause in the contracts, which in their opinion is invalid. A class action lawsuit was the result.
The class action in detail
The Federal Association of Consumer Organizations announced a class action against DAZN at the beginning of 2023. This lawsuit is now being heard at the Hamm Higher Regional Court. A spokesperson for the court confirmed receipt of the lawsuit, but did not provide any specific details about the case. The lawsuit is directed against the price increase clause, which is perceived as non-transparent and is ineffective in the view of consumer advocates.
What happens next?
Once the lawsuit has been served in England, the register of claims will be opened. It is not yet clear when exactly this will happen and how long the process will take. Consumers are hoping for legal clarification and a possible refund or reduction in subscription prices.
