The Total Chess World Championship Tour, developed by Norway Chess and approved by FIDE, has announced DAZN as its official streaming partner for the upcoming Pilot which will be held in Budapest, Hungary, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of chess as a global spectator sport.
The partnership brings together a pioneering new championship concept and one of the world’s leading sports streaming platforms, creating an opportunity to showcase elite chess to a wider international audience. With DAZN available in more than 200 countries and territories, the collaboration represents an important step in Total Chess’s ambition to make the game more accessible, engaging and globally relevant.
Taking place from November 10–20, 2026, at the Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel, the Budapest Pilot will bring together 24 of the world’s leading players including world no.1 Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So,Vincent Keymer, Hans Niemann, R Praggnanandha to compete across Fast Classic, Rapid and Blitz. The event will test the Tour’s innovative format ahead of the inaugural global season, scheduled to begin in March 2027.
Kjell Madland, CEO of Total Chess, said:
“Partnering with DAZN for our Pilot is an exciting milestone for Total Chess. We are building a new world championship that brings together three formats of chess to identify the most complete player in the world, and we want to present that competition to audiences far beyond the traditional chess community. DAZN’s global reach gives us an outstanding platform to introduce this concept to fans around the world. Budapest is the first step in our journey to create a new global spectacle for chess.”
Shay Segev, CEO of DAZN Group, said:
“Chess has a passionate global following and tremendous potential to reach new audiences through innovative competition and compelling storytelling. Total Chess introduces an innovative approach to elite chess, and we are pleased to partner with the Pilot. Through DAZN’s international platform, we look forward to bringing this exciting event to fans and helping showcase the next chapter in the sport’s evolution.”
DAZN: Connecting chess with a global sports audience
DAZN has established a global presence across more than 200 countries and territories, offering live and on-demand sports content through its digital platform. Its footprint includes key markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan and Brazil, among others, with content availability varying by territory and rights agreements.
For Total Chess, the partnership provides an opportunity to bring the Pilot to a broader audience, build international awareness of the new championship and demonstrate how elite chess can be presented to a modern, digitally connected sports audience.
About DAZN
DAZN, the world’s leading sports entertainment platform, streams more than 150,000 live events annually and is available in over 200 markets worldwide. DAZN is the home of football, boxing and MMA, as well as the NFL Game Pass and NHL.TV internationally. The platform features the biggest sports and leagues from around the world – Bundesliga, Serie A, LALIGA, Ligue 1, Formula 1, NBA, Moto GP, and many more.
Built on a highly scalable, cloud-based architecture, DAZN’s platform is purpose-built for sport. From latency optimised streaming to adaptive delivery that optimises quality across devices and connectivity, DAZN delivers the highest-quality viewing experience at global scale. The platform integrates advanced data, hyper-personalisation, and AI-enabled features to enhance discovery, interactivity, and fan engagement. DAZN is an ecosystem of content, products, and features where fans can watch, play, buy and connect in real time.
DAZN is transforming the way people enjoy sport. Fans can enjoy live and on-demand sports content anywhere and on any device – only on DAZN. The company partners with leading pay-TV operators, ISPs and Telcos worldwide to maximise sports exposure to a broad audience. DAZN is a global, privately owned company, founded in 2016, with more than 4,000 employees. For more information on DAZN, visit www.dazngroup.com.
About Total Chess
Total Chess is a global championship platform established to redefine elite competitive chess for the modern era. Developed by Norway Chess and approved by FIDE, the Total Chess World Championship Tour introduces a unified format that crowns the world’s ultimate champion by testing excellence across three disciplines: Fast Classical, Rapid and Blitz. The Tour will bring together the world’s top 24 men and women players to compete across four premier international events hosted in leading global cities.
Designed to elevate the sport’s commercial appeal and fan engagement, Total Chess combines world- class competition with innovation, technology and immersive spectator experiences to create a new benchmark for professional chess.
With a vision to make chess a spectator sport and global entertainment product, Total Chess aims to expand the game’s global footprint, inspire the next generation of players, and connectmillions of fans through a dynamic championship that celebrates intelligence, strategy and sporting excellence.
For more information, visit: www.totalchess.com
For more information or press enquiries contact press@totalchess.com.
