PBC Signs U.S. Media Rights Deal with Prime Video

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Prime Video inks U.S. media rights deal with PBC

Prime Video has struck a U.S. media rights agreement with the Premier Boxing Champions promotional company, marking Amazon’s first big foray into the classic sport in America. The deal will start in 2024, and financial terms are unknown, but it’s contracted to run for multiple years. PBC, one of the biggest boxing promoters in the world, had been looking for a new anchor partner as its longtime deal with Showtime Sports is ending after 2023, when Paramount Global will exit the business of combat sports.

Under the agreement with Prime Video, the digital streaming platform will be the main distributor of PBC’s PPV fights in the U.S., though PBC will also still work to have those biggest events aired on linear TV through cable and satellite PPV distributors. But there will now be a PBC Championship Boxing series of non-PPV fights that will air exclusively on Prime Video, and the platform will develop original shoulder programming and docuseries around PBC’s stable of fighters, like Gervonta Davis, Errol Spence and Canelo Alvarez, along with airing fighter weigh-ins, previous events, highlights and archived footage.

Prime Video will air 12-14 fights annually between PPVs and non-PPVs, and the first one is expected in March of 2024. The PPV events that air on Prime Video will be available to buy regardless of if a fan is a Prime subscriber. This marks the first time that Prime Video is airing PPV boxing matches in the U.S., a major development for the sport as it looks to bring new media partners into the fold as the likes of Showtime exit.

Bruce Binkow, a consultant for PBC, helped the boxing promoter set up the partnership, and he said in a prepared statement that with Prime’s “incredible reach and unprecedented marketing power, we’re very excited to reach new audiences for our sport.” Amazon VP/U.S. Sports Content & Partnerships Marie Donoghue added that the addition of PBC “continues to bring viewers in the U.S. and around the world the best in sports.”

A prime subscription currently costs $14.99 per month, and the company is also rolling out an ad-free version in the U.S. for an additional $2.99 per month. Prime Video has about 157 million subscribers in the U.S., according to an Insider Intelligence estimate cited by Reuters in September, which would be the third largest OTT network behind YouTube and Netflix. PBC, which was founded in 2015, is run by the legendary boxing promoter Al Haymon.

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Press Release

Prime Video and Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) announced a landmark, multiyear rights agreement to provide fans with year-round access to the best matchups featuring their large roster of fighters.

PBC features over 150 active fighters across various weight divisions, including top contenders and current world champions. Since its debut in 2015, PBC has presented numerous large events in the sport. IN 2023, the company staged several top pay-per-view events - David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant, Gervonta “Tank” Davis vs. Ryan Garcia, Errol Spence vs. Terence Crawford, and Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo.

For years, PBC was the main content partner of Showtime. In October, it was officially announced that parent company, Paramount Global, was eliminating combat sports from the network by the close of 2023.

Prime Video will distribute PBC’s industry-leading pay-per-view (PPV) events in the U.S, with the first event anticipated for March 2024. PBC PPV fights will be available for all viewers to purchase, regardless of Prime membership.

Additionally, in the U.S. and select countries, Prime Video will exclusively stream a PBC Championship Boxing series of events.

Details on specific cards, dates, and locations will be announced at a later date. In addition to the live PBC events, Prime Video will continue to grow its Original sports content offerings, with behind-the-scenes PBC docuseries, live weigh-ins, as well as on-demand access to previous events, highlights, archival footage, and more.

“We are thrilled to join with Premier Boxing Champions to bring the best boxers in the world to Prime Video, and to give more fans than ever the chance to experience these must-see events,” said Marie Donoghue, VP, U.S. sports content & partnerships, Amazon. “With live coverage of PBC action throughout the calendar year, Prime Video continues to bring viewers in the U.S. and around the world the best in sports.”

“Premier Boxing Champions is very proud to partner with Prime Video to showcase our world-class boxers and events. With Prime’s incredible reach and unprecedented marketing power, we’re very excited to reach new audiences for our sport as we continue to present the most exciting, competitive and biggest fights in Boxing,” said Bruce Binkow, CEO, Integrated Sports, exclusive agency for PBC.

Fans of the sport will be able to watch PBC live at home or on the go, and across hundreds of compatible devices, streaming from the web, or using the Prime Video app on smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes, game consoles, and connected TVs. For a complete list of compatible devices, visit amazon.com/howtostream.

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[Nightmare Roy]

Balls we cancelled prime as we didn't want to help prop up one of the worlds most evil corporations.

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EDDIE HEARN: PBC AND AMAZON PRIME COLLABORATION IS 'GREAT'

Eddie Hearn has described as “great” rivals Premier Boxing Champions’ broadcast agreement with Amazon Prime.

PBC’s fights and pay-per-views were being shown by Showtime, but the network is withdrawing from boxing by the end of 2023, and the influential promoters, led by the mysterious Al Haymon, will hereafter have a new home.

PBC represent one of Matchroom’s biggest rivals – they tempted the world’s leading fighter Saul “Canelo” Alvarez away from them earlier this year – and Amazon Prime’s investment in boxing could also pose a threat to DAZN, Matchroom’s long-term broadcaster.

“It’s great for boxing,” Hearn, of Matchroom, regardless told ProBox TV. “Whenever a new broadcaster comes in, it shows you how big the sport is – that there’s an interest in the sport. The other broadcasters as well – it gives them a little kick up the arse. It shows you that boxing’s valuable to platforms. So I think, ‘Good’.

“It’s another broadcaster injecting money in the sport. So if PBC don’t get a new broadcaster, or they don’t get a broadcaster with any excitement, if you like, the sport becomes, ‘There’s no investment. There’s no excitement. There’s no aggression, or investment, in boxing’, and we need that. Amazon is a powerful platform; people will say it’s not Fox, but why not? At least they’ve got a broadcaster.

“Of course, whenever you get an opportunity for – particularly – a terrestrial broadcaster in the UK to air sports, it is good for the sport, but what does it actually do? It’s like the Channel 5 numbers. Is that growing the sport? Who are those people? Do they buy tickets? Buy merchandise? Do they engage on social?

“Whenever you can get a bigger number, the better, but it’s who those people actually are. I often wonder. The value of 1.5m on Channel 5 is less than the value of 250,000 paying customers on an app or on a cable subscriber who actually will show a bigger interest in the sport.

“Anyone with a brain knows that streaming is the future of live sports, and that’s why we made that move, what, five years ago, and everybody was laughing at us – PBC included; ‘They’re on an app’ – it’s just the way sport’s going to go.

“[Pay-per-views] will be the entire reason Amazon are getting involved.”

Suggestions persist that PBC could yet also agree to work with what is increasingly commonly referred to as a “linear platform”.

“They may need an additional platform to fund the roster, because one of the problems is they’ve got so many fighters they can’t give them activity,” Hearn continued.

“ESPN are [also] a streaming service. I just think what’s going to happen is people are going to buy apps instead of a traditional cable subscriber, and that was one of the reasons we made the move away from Sky, because I think, in time, a plethora of apps will be a more attractive proposition, and I think Sky will end up being a provider of apps, rather than an acquirer of sports rights.

“The Premier League, obviously, is a big winner – whilst they have the Premier League they’ll remain that way. But in time you’ll see a lot of these apps just existing – you’ve seen it already; Sky carrying those apps – and I think that’ll be the question to the customers. ‘Do you want to pay whatever you’re paying for Sky, or do you want DAZN, Disney+, Netflix, Amazon, whatever, all for less money than your subscription?’”

[tony1234]

Unless Eddie starts delivering your shopping for free, Prime have a massive head start on the DAZN who offer nothing but boxing

[jwfg]

Unless Eddie starts delivering your shopping for free, Prime have a massive head start on the DAZN who offer nothing but boxing

They do have other stuff on there, it's just not stuff I watch.

[Nightmare Roy]

Unless Eddie starts delivering your shopping for free, Prime have a massive head start on the DAZN who offer nothing but boxing

Not just that, he's only got AJ and he's probably got 3 fights left I'm guessing before he packs it in.

[jwfg]

he's only got AJ

No, he's got lots of fighters. World Champions and some excellent prospects from the UK and other countries. Plus DAZN has plenty of non-Matchroom shows.

[SeanBrennan]

Balls we cancelled prime as we didn't want to help prop up one of the worlds most evil corporations.

hahahaahaha

[SeanBrennan]

he's only got AJ

No, he's got lots of fighters. World Champions and some excellent prospects from the UK and other countries. Plus DAZN has plenty of non-Matchroom shows.

it sure does, including 2 non-MR last Saturday, both of which were worth watching. Good news that we'll get more boxing via Prime.

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[jameswilson]

Found out a few weeks back that I had a load of free months of Amazon prime because of the amount of stuff I’d bought off their online site.

Takes away the blow of having to buy another subscription and to be fair I don’t think many PBC shows made it over onto the tv here.

[SeanBrennan]

Found out a few weeks back that I had a load of free months of Amazon prime because of the amount of stuff I’d bought off their online site.

Takes away the blow of having to buy another subscription and to be fair I don’t think many PBC shows made it over onto the tv here.

same here ref Prime

[rd350lc]

Me too .

Never watch anything on it . The kids do though and the next day delivery has got me out of trouble before .
I wish they did a non TV option to save a few pennies.

[maverick23]

I’m surprised they haven’t got shows announced already. PBC have a roster of something like over 100 fighters. Those guys need activity.

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The training wheels are off in 2025 for PBC and Amazon Prime

After an exciting but somewhat restrained start to their partnership, the union between Amazon Prime Video and Premier Boxing Champions is expected to deliver a more robust boxing schedule in 2025, according to former head of Showtime Sports, Stephen Espinoza, now working as a consultant for PBC.

The PBC on Prime Video coupling resulted in five shows in 2024, four of them pay-per-views, including three headlined by superstars Canelo Alvarez (2x) and Gervonta “Tank” Davis in separate fights.

“For 2025, the training wheels are off,” Espinoza told Boxing Scene. “There was a period of getting acquainted and getting into a rhythm with PBC and Prime Video. And that was 2024. You can already see from the first couple of events in 2025 that it’s going to be a busier year. There’s a couple of non-pay-per-view events that will be announced shortly for the first quarter.”

Espinoza spoke on Tuesday before the start of a press conference in Brooklyn, New York between Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Lamont Roach, who will headline a lightweight title fight on March 1 in a PBC on Prime Video pay-per-view for Davis’ belt. That will follow an attractive clash on Feb. 1 between undefeated power punchers David Benavidez and David Morrell at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in a light heavyweight bout on PBC on Prime Video pay-per-view.

There is also a non-pay-per-view event being planned for Feb. 15 at the Caribe Royale, in Orlando, Fla. with an as yet to be announced main event, a source told Boxing Scene.

Regarding the Tank-Roach undercard on March 1, a matchup between WBA junior welterweight titleholder Jose “El Rayo” Valenzuela and top contender Gary Antuanne Russell could land on the pay-per-view, a source confirmed to Boxing Scene.

“The February 1 Benavidez vs. Morrell card is really an intriguing card from top to bottom with high quality fights,” Espinoza said. “This one [between Davis and Roach] will be well supported as well. So I think you’re going to see a step-up in the level of activity in 2025 and I think that will be a welcome development for boxing.”

Added Espinoza of the changing winds of the boxing industry and new platforms getting into the sport, “Clearly, the U.S. boxing market is in transition – HBO getting out, Showtime getting out, Fox is not active anymore. So there’s a period of transition and it’s exciting to see the activity level getting taken up by Amazon and Netflix. It’s a critical period for the sport as they develop these new platforms.”

[maverick23]

Was it 6 shows they had in 2024 with 5 being PPV? Madness really considering the size of their stable. I’m surprised more guys haven’t moved on.

I find Espinoza quite disingenuous. He said several times throughout 2024 that they’d soon be announcing a suite of subscription shows yet we only had one which was helped by being on PPV in Australia.