Playtech appoints former DAZN executive John Gleasure as new chairman

John Gleasure, a former executive at sports streaming platform DAZN, is being appointed as the new chairman of Playtech, reports Sky News. Gleasure is set to take on the role weeks before the London-listed gambling technology group pays out a special dividend worth up to £1.5 billion ($2 billion).

Gleasure, who was also a co-founder of the digital sports media group Perform, is set to succeed Brian Mattingley in the role after Playtech's annual meeting next month. He has also held roles at Sky Sports, Hutchison 3G and Sony Pictures. 

He also continues to sit on the board of DAZN Group and is executive chairman of The Sporting News, a digital publisher in which Playtech acquired a minority interest in 2023.

The position of Playtech chairman has been at the centre of governance challenges, with Mattingley overseeing a frenetic period of corporate activity marked by friction with shareholders over boardroom pay. Back in December, close to a third of investors rebelled over a €100 million bonus plan for CEO Mor Weizer and other senior executives.

However, amid these criticisms, Mattingley has also been credited with helping the company navigate challenging periods and drive growth, including his role in last year's sale of Italian consumer gambling arm Snaitech for €2.3 billion ($2.6 billion).

The deal, which received regulatory approval last week, will transform Playtech into a purely B2B operation and, according to some analysts, will turn the remaining company into a takeover target.

The sale of Snaitech represents a near-threefold return on Playtech's initial investment, and has led to a special dividend worth up to £1.5 billion to be paid in June. It's also reflective of the wider solid performance of the company, with shares having rose by nearly 60% during Mattingley's tenure.