On 8 August 2025, the Court of Appeal (Newey, Arnold and Popplewell LJJ) handed down  judgment in Coupang Inc v DAZN Limited [2025] EWCA Civ 1083. The dispute related to the broadcast rights in South Korea of the FIFA Club World Cup, a competition involving 32 of the world’s best football teams.

Coupang is an e-commerce company operating predominantly in the South Korean market which has a business similar to that of Amazon. Among other offerings, Coupang has a video streaming service called ‘Coupang Play’. DAZN is a major global sports broadcaster and the head license holder of the Club World Cup rights for South Korea and other territories, having originally acquired these from FIFA.

Coupang and DAZN entered into negotiations in January 2025. Coupang claimed that the parties had reached a binding contract that the relevant rights would be sub-licensed to it on a co-exclusive basis with DAZN, via an exchange of emails between 27 February and 3 March 2025.

DAZN subsequently denied that any such agreement had been concluded. DAZN said further that the employee who had sent the relevant email lacked authority to enter into such a contract.

In the High Court, HHJ Pelling KC upheld Coupang’s claim that a contract had been agreed and ordered specific performance, requiring DAZN to provide the broadcast streams to Coupang.

The case confirms that valuable sports rights in a major competition can be licensed by an informal agreement. In addition to its subject matter, the case is notable because it was conducted on an urgent, expedited basis. The claim was filed on 29 April 2025 and the final merits hearing, covering all matters apart from quantum, took place on 16 May 2025, with judgment handed down three days later on 19 May 2025.

On 6 June 2025, the Court of Appeal heard and rejected DAZN’s expedited appeal, thereby enabling the grant of the rights to Coupang in time for the Club World Cup’s first game on 13 June 2025, with reasons reserved to the judgment handed down on 8 August 2025.

A copy of the Court of Appeal’s judgment is available here.

Laura John KC and Damien Bruneau acted for DAZN, instructed by Wiggin LLP. Jacob Turner acted for Coupang, led by James Sheehan KC in the High Court, and by Craig Morrison KC (together with Firdaus Mohandas) in the Court of Appeal, instructed by Hogan Lovells International LLP.