DAZN Sued For Charging Customers Without Their Consent

Game changed.

A class action lawsuit has been filed against live sports streaming service DAZN in the state of California, accusing the company of renewing certain subscriptions without providing proper disclosures required by law. The lawsuit, filed by Kyle McNair-Robinson of Riverside, California, claims DAZN violated California’s Automatic Renewal Law by charging customers without their consent.

The 32-page filing alleges that DAZN unilaterally renews both monthly and yearly subscriptions, relying on “consumer confusion and inertia” to retain customers and increase its revenue. According to the lawsuit, DAZN has failed to provide the necessary information to subscribers before renewing their plans, an essential requirement under California law for any online retailer offering subscriptions.

Under California’s Automatic Renewal Law, companies must present automatic renewal terms in a “clear and conspicuous manner” near the request for consumer consent. Additionally, businesses are required to get affirmative consent from the consumer before charging their payment method. Afterward, they must provide an acknowledgment that includes the terms of the renewal and an easy mechanism for consumers to cancel the subscription. The lawsuit claims that DAZN consistently fails to meet these standards.

The case further alleges that DAZN, which boasts over 800,000 subscribers, has deliberately made the process of canceling a subscription “exceedingly difficult and unnecessarily confusing.” DAZN’s practices, according to the lawsuit, violate the California Automatic Renewal Law and seem designed to exploit users who may not realize their subscriptions are being renewed.

The filing also suggests that DAZN’s rapid growth in user base has coincided with a significant drop in customer satisfaction. The company is accused of utilizing dark patterns—design tactics aimed at making certain actions, like canceling a subscription, intentionally confusing or difficult. These dark patterns, the lawsuit claims, have resulted in both accidental sign-ups and difficulty in canceling services.

The lawsuit states, “In fact, Defendant’s conduct has drawn the attention and ire of customers across the country, with countless angry customers taking to the Internet to voice their discontent over Defendant’s deceitful tactics.”

The legal action seeks to represent all individuals in California who, within the statute of limitations, incurred renewal fees through DAZN’s subscription services. This class action highlights the growing scrutiny of companies that rely on subscription models and automatic renewals to drive revenue, especially when such practices appear to sidestep legal requirements.

News of the lawsuit was first reported by ClassAction.org, and the outcome could have significant implications for DAZN and similar companies operating in California and elsewhere in the United States.

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