Sky Sports and BOXXER - 4 Year Deal

[Ruthless-RKO]

Press Release

Two new partnerships will see Top Rank and BOXXER fights on Sky Sports until 2025, ensuring boxing fans will see the pick of the sport across the world

Sky Sports license agreement to bring Top Rank shows for next four years

New four-year partnership with BOXXER in the UK with commitment to grow the sport and work with the British Boxing Board of Control to support domestic boxing community

Full Sky Sports, Top Rank and BOXXER partnership launch in August – agreements will bring more boxing to Sky Sports than ever before

Sky Sports has outlined the next phase in its long and proud 30-year association with the sport of boxing, bringing two new partnerships that will deliver a fresh and exciting lineup of fighters both in the UK and internationally and more boxing than before.

Beginning on Saturday [June 12], Sky Sports will be the UK & Ireland home to Top Rank events from the United States thanks to a brand-new licensing agreement with the prestigious boxing promotion company. Sky Sports will step up its commitment to the very best UK fighters in a partnership with BOXXER, founded by the youngest licensed promoter, Ben Shalom. John Wischhusen, formerly Head of Boxing at Matchroom Sport, brings more than 20 years of boxing management experience to the BOXXER team. Full UK schedule and announcements will be made in August.

Top Rank has a deep history with the sport, promoting greats including Muhammad Ali, Manny Pacquiao, George Foreman and Marvin Hagler. Currently, they have the likes of Terence Crawford, Vasiliy Lomachenko, Josh Taylor, Teofimo Lopez, Shakur Stevenson, Oscar Valdez, Naoya Inoue, Artur Beterbiev, Joe Smith Jr., Jamel Herring, Emanuel Navarrete, Jose Ramirez, Michael Conlan, and Mikaela Mayer, amongst others, on their books.

The agreement will mean Sky Sports will broadcast many of the sport’s elite pound-for-pound fighters and deliver the best of men’s and women’s international boxing to Sky Sports audiences. Customers can look forward at least 18 Fight Nights a year, approaching 100 hours of boxing on Sky Sports, as well as 50-plus years of archive content highlighting legends such as Ali, Foreman, Pacquiao, Robert Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Sky Sports coverage of Top Rank events begins immediately with Shakur Stevenson taking on Jeremiah Nakathila Saturday 12 June at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas for the vacant WBO interim junior lightweight title. Sky Sports will be broadcasting three Top Rank cards this month involving Naoya Inoue [June 19] and Vasiliy Lomachenko [June 26] bringing the best of Stateside boxing to Sky Sports subscribers, with Anthony Joshua’s upcoming bout with Oleksandr Usyk widely anticipated to follow in late summer.

BOXXER aims to challenge traditions with a new approach to boxing promotion and Sky Sports and BOXXER will work collaboratively including with other promoters to bring elite fighters to Sky Sports Boxing with a modern approach to the sport.

Sky Sports, BOXXER and Top Rank will reveal a more detailed fight schedule for the remainder of 2021 as well as a refreshed editorial approach over the coming weeks. This wide-ranging partnership will benefit the very top of the sport as well as at grassroots levels, with a commitment to engage with the British Boxing Board of Control on how to ensure sustainable growth. Sky Sports and BOXXER are committed to developing initiatives to support grassroots boxing and the facilities to grow the sport and will outline further details in August. Sky Sports and BOXXER aim to introduce a new dynamic and diverse approach encompassing all platforms and engaging new audiences.

Sky Sports Managing Director Jonathan Licht said: “We’re very excited to partner with Top Rank and BOXXER to bring more world class boxing to Sky Sports. Top Rank are one of the biggest boxing promoters in the world, and our customers will now be able to see more of the world’s best boxers on Sky.

“BOXXER have ambitious and exciting plans for the sport in the UK, and we share a long-term view for boxing. Sky Sports has been a strong and close partner to boxing for more than 30 years and we look forward to continuing our partnership, giving a platform to the best fights at home and abroad and helping to grow the sport at elite and grassroots levels. We look forward to sharing more details with boxing fans in the next couple of months.”

Top Rank President Todd duBoef said: “For decades, Sky has been the leading sports brand in the UK. The world’s biggest sporting events and boxing matches have been cultivated under the Sky banner. Top Rank is honored to partner with Sky to continue to grow the sport both locally and globally for years to come.”

BOXXER founder Ben Shalom said: “Sky Sports has been the bedrock of British boxing for many years. We have been waiting for the opportunity to offer a transformative approach to the sport and we are delighted that Sky Sports have bought into this vision. We believe this will take the sport to new heights. Sky will show the best fights from around the world alongside a powerful UK schedule.”

British Boxing Board of Control General Secretary Robert W. Smith said: “The British Boxing Board of Control are delighted that Sky Sports has reconfirmed its commitment to British Boxing that already spans in excess of 30 years.

“In John Wischhusen, Sky Sports retain a longstanding and respected relationship within the Sport, and Ben Shalom is one of the new generation of promoters at this transitional and exciting time for Boxing in the United Kingdom.

“Sky Sports’ next chapter in boxing represents a fantastic opportunity for many as they will continue to broadcast major events, in addition to supporting the boxing pyramid in this country.”

These new agreements will ensure Sky Sports remains the home of world class sport in the UK and Ireland, including Anthony Joshua’s next bout exclusively live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Sky Sports also broadcasts the best matches every weekend from the Premier League, EFL, Scottish Premiership and for the first time the Women’s Super League, every race from the Formula One, the best of cricket, golf and much, much more.

[JamesPhilips]

who are boxxer? Which fighters have they got? Intuitively sounds like a 2 Bob organisation

[Ruthless-RKO]

who are boxxer? Which fighters have they got? Intuitively sounds like a 2 Bob organisation

Isn’t it the same that the Ultimate Boxxer, I know the name changed to Boxxer..

The one that had 3 round KO type tournaments.

We’ll find out more in August.

[JamesPhilips]

https://www.boxxer.com/champions/

Hmmmmmmm

So are the UK shows just gonna be Prizefighter/ Boxxer type shows? Give me strength they're awful

[Ruthless-RKO]

https://www.boxxer.com/champions/

Hmmmmmmm

They;re the recent tournament champions.

Detrick Osaze hasn't fought since..

[JamesPhilips]

https://www.boxxer.com/champions/

Hmmmmmmm

They;re the recent tournament champions.

Detrick Osaze hasn't fought since..

so do they have any fighters signed or is it gonna just be this Ultimate Boxxer shite?

[Ruthless-RKO]

https://www.boxxer.com/champions/

Hmmmmmmm

They;re the recent tournament champions.

Detrick Osaze hasn't fought since..

so do they have any fighters signed or is it gonna just be this Ultimate Boxxer shite?

No idea.. they haven’t released any news for over a year..

[Coco]

Boxxer sounds like a Matchroom spin off to me.
John Wish is old matchroom

[MightyWarrior]

Certainly be cancelling sky sports now. Good riddance

[JamesPhilips]

Certainly be cancelling sky sports now. Good riddance

As long as you don't watch women's netball, you may experience the beauty of never hearing Adam Smiths voice again.....

[KiwiRider]

Let's face it chaps, matchroom let the bar slide pretty low before the door hit them on the arse on the way out.
I'll hang onto my subscription for a few months and give them a chance.

[maverick23]

Let's face it chaps, matchroom let the bar slide pretty low before the door hit them on the arse on the way out.
I'll hang onto my subscription for a few months and give them a chance.

The one this weekend is poor and their last show was average at best (albeit it had one really good European title fight on it and it was loads better than the recent BT show) but their other shows this year have been pretty good I think. Several good, well matched fights.

[margaret thatcher]

gotta admit, i love the toranments

[margaret thatcher]

Boxxer sounds like a Matchroom spin off to me.
John Wish is old matchroom

if you mean the 1 night tournaments......those have been going on for decades an decades , well b4 matchroom started prizefighter

[watsupdoc87]

Let's face it chaps, matchroom let the bar slide pretty low before the door hit them on the arse on the way out.
I'll hang onto my subscription for a few months and give them a chance.

I may have asked this b4 kiwi but do you pay for sky in nz or stream the cards?

[KiwiRider]

Let's face it chaps, matchroom let the bar slide pretty low before the door hit them on the arse on the way out.
I'll hang onto my subscription for a few months and give them a chance.

I may have asked this b4 kiwi but do you pay for sky in nz or stream the cards?

Pay for it, regular sky + sports. It works out a fraction cheaper than the UK depending on the exchange rates

[Coco]

Boxxer sounds like a Matchroom spin off to me.
John Wish is old matchroom

if you mean the 1 night tournaments......those have been going on for decades an decades , well b4 matchroom started prizefighter

No I mean I reckon they will be signing up matchrooms second tier fighters

[margaret thatcher]

ah, got you there, could be

[tony1234]

From what I read Boxxer is just the promoting company and it read as they will use fighters from other companies for their UK Sky shows and not do tournaments. August will be interesting when they come up with their UK schedule and who they book and also how much DAZN's price goes up to. The Italian version of DAZN goes up to twenty odd quid from then

[3132DW]

From what I read Boxxer is just the promoting company and it read as they will use fighters from other companies for their UK Sky shows and not do tournaments. August will be interesting when they come up with their UK schedule and who they book and also how much DAZN's price goes up to. The Italian version of DAZN goes up to twenty odd quid from then

DAZN Italy has all the Seria A coverage - 350 + games plus all Boxing.

German DAZN is 12 euro or 120 for year - but that includes Bundesliga - it’s only with main footy coverage it goes up to over 10 euro month.

US is $99 for year - for 30-35 shows most would pay that I’d think ?

[maverick23]

Just listened to the Adam Smith IFL interview from yesterday. Boxxer will have c.16 shows a year and they can be their own shows or anyone else’s. I could imagine Boxxer will slowly build their own stable of fighters because working with promoters/fighters on a fight by fight basis makes it tricky to build fighters long term.

Boxxer will also work with Top Rank on their U.K. shows which will likely mean Taylor/Conlan and potentially other Brits will be part of this down the line. Certainly makes Top Rank a more attractive option for a young Brit to sign for - particularly coming out of the Olympics as they can fight primetime on Sky and also be shown on ESPN+ in the US.

[forcefraser]

DAZN Canada has every single premier league game, all the US and UK Boxing, series A, champions league, Bellator and loads more.

Cost my 70 bucks from a guy on Ebay 2 years ago and still working fine.

It's excellwnt

[Offthehook]

Pretty much means every promoter will get a go at putting on a show through boxxxer, which is good news for fighters, since sky will be picking up lots of cards from various promotions that will be Ken to impress on the on the biggest network (with respect to bt). You got mtk still putting on a quality product regularly on YouTube and espn. They could be dark horses to take over in the future because they have the financial muscle and astute boxing people involved in the company.

[maverick23]

Pretty much means every promoter will get a go at putting on a show through boxxxer, which is good news for fighters, since sky will be picking up lots of cards from various promotions that will be Ken to impress on the on the biggest network (with respect to bt). You got mtk still putting on a quality product regularly on YouTube and espn. They could be dark horses to take over in the future because they have the financial muscle and astute boxing people involved in the company.

I wonder if they’ll use Boxxer as a middle man to work with MTK. Clearly Bob’s pretty close to Kinahan and Sky may see using Boxxer as a middleman as a way to keep the flak away.

[margaret thatcher]

Pretty much means every promoter will get a go at putting on a show through boxxxer, which is good news for fighters, since sky will be picking up lots of cards from various promotions that will be Ken to impress on the on the biggest network (with respect to bt). You got mtk still putting on a quality product regularly on YouTube and espn. They could be dark horses to take over in the future because they have the financial muscle and astute boxing people involved in the company.

i hope that's the case, dont like it when good fighters basically get put to the side cuz the big networks only work with 1 promoter