BoxRec

Boxxer agrees on 'historic' broadcast deal with BBC

Boxing will return to British terrestrial television, and to the BBC, after confirmation of a broadcast agreement between the organization and Boxxer.

The existence of Ben Shalom’s promotional organization had been threatened by the conclusion of its previously existing deal with Sky Sports, which chose against renewing it when it expired earlier in 2025.

Boxxer will re-emerge, however, on an even higher-profile platform, potentially enhancing the sport’s prospects on British national television decades after the BBC’s influence contributed to its popularity in Britain and two decades after – having broadcast the career of the British Olympic gold medalist Audley Harrison – its resources increasingly focused on other sports, such as tennis, athletics and soccer.

“BBC Sport and Boxxer announce a new broadcast deal that will see live, world-class professional boxing return to Saturday night primetime television and BBC iPlayer on a free-to- air basis,” read a statement issued by Boxxer.

“Selected undercard fights, features and behind-the-scenes content will also be available across BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport social channels.

“The new deal opens boxing up to all audiences, making the sport more accessible than ever. Full details of the first fight, undercard and BBC Sport presenting team will be announced in the coming weeks.”

Details regarding which of the BBC channels boxing will be broadcast on remain unconfirmed – as do details regarding its promising stable of fighters, who signed for them while Boxxer remained contracted to Sky Sports.

The popular European super middleweight titleholder Callum Simpson recently told BS that he expected his next fight to be with Boxxer, but Joshua Buatsi, who as a Boxxer fighter in February lost to Callum Smith, even more recently signed with Queensberry Promotions.

“Partnering with the BBC to deliver big-time British boxing on Saturday night TV is a historic moment,” said Shalom. "We’re proud to bring the most entertaining British fighters to the biggest possible audience. This huge platform will give our fights the exposure they deserve and helps us take the sport to huge new audiences.

“Bringing professional boxing back to primetime BBC television, free-to-air, and to our extensive digital platforms is an exciting moment for us and for boxing fans,” said BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski. “Boxing is a sport that we know deeply resonates with younger audiences, and this deal with Boxxer enables us to showcase the next generation of British fighters – delivering top-tier national boxing moments to all audiences, wherever and however they want it.”

The development, though on a different continent, also perhaps represents a positive one for a sport potentially threatened by the conclusion of Top Rank’s broadcast agreement with ESPN.

They won’t get BBC1 slots unless it’s Summer.

They’ll be on BBC Two, Three and Four and then iPlayer too.

Still good. But I’m already seeing commmnets that it’s gonna be downhill quickly.

BBC signs boxing broadcast deal with Boxxer

The BBC has signed a broadcast deal with Boxxer which will mean world-class professional boxing returns to prime-time television and BBC iPlayer.

Over the next 12 months, the BBC will air fights from selected events on BBC Two or Three as well as on iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.

Boxxer currently houses some of the biggest talents in UK boxing including Olympic and world champion Lauren Price.

"Bringing professional boxing back to primetime BBC television, free-to-air, and to our extensive digital platforms is an exciting moment for us and hopefully for boxing fans," said Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport.

The first event is expected to happen by the end of the year, with dates and headliners to be announced in the coming weeks.

Boxxer, led by promoter Ben Shalom, staged an all-women's card headlined by Price and Natasha Jonas in March as well as promoting Amir Khan v Kell Brook, Liam Smith v Chris Eubank Jr, Claressa Shields v Savannah Marshall and Fabio Wardley v Frazer Clarke in recent years.

"Partnering with the BBC to deliver big-time British boxing on Saturday night TV is a historic moment," Shalom said.

"We're proud to bring the most entertaining British fighters to the biggest possible audience.

"This huge platform will give our fights the exposure they deserve and helps us take the sport to huge new audiences."

Maybe guys like Whittaker and Azim should stay a little longer.

Can't go wrong with free-to-air.

I have a feeling they got the deal also, based on the women in their roster.

How can it be a bad thing?

mickey1975 wrote: ↑08 Aug 2025, 03:16 How can it be a bad thing?

It's not.

wonder how long the deal is

Can't see it as a bad thing. I just hope they just make the most of it. If they focus on domestic level they should be able to attract some up and comers.

It's great for the fans, but financially, Ben will have to cut his cloth accordingly. I don't see BBC doing any PPV.

Inside Boxxer and Ben Shalom's BBC deal as boxing back on primetime TV and BBC iPlayer

Boxxer - the promotional company led by Ben Shalom - have been trying to secure a new broadcast deal since their Sky Sports one ended and have found a home on the BBC

Boxxer and Ben Shalom have brokered a deal with BBC to get boxing back on the national broadcaster.

There will be opportunities for shows to be broadcast on linear TV - potentially BBC2 - depending on the quality of events with some also on iPlayer. Boxxer and promoter Ben Shalom have been looking for a new broadcast partner since the end of their Sky Sports contract.

ITV has come in and out of the sport throughout the last three decades while Channel 5 continues to keep the sport on terrestrial TV through a deal with Wasserman. Boxing has been on iPlayer in recent times with Irish promoter Mark Dunlop having an event on there while there have been other regional professional boxing events.

But the broadcaster has not substantially invested in the sport for a national linear TV deal in professional boxing since a 10-fight agreement worth £1m with Audley Harrison back in 2001. Clinton Woods beat Rico Hoye to win the IBF light heavyweight title in March 2005 on BBC TV, which was the last live professional fight on the channel.

That deal fell flat when Harrison’s struggled taking his skills from the amateurs - where he was an Olympic gold medallist - to the paid ranks and his self-promoted venture with the broadcaster fell flat. But now the BBC, in a move led by Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski, have teamed up with Boxxer, who Sky refused to renew their contract with after a four-year spell.

A Boxxer statement said: “BBC Sport and BOXXER today announce a new broadcast deal that will see live, world-class professional boxing return to Saturday night primetime television and BBC iPlayer on a free-to-air basis.

Selected undercard fights, features and behind-the-scenes content will also be available across BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport social channels.

“The new deal opens boxing up to all audiences, making the sport more accessible than ever. Full details of the first fight, undercard and BBC Sport presenting team will be announced in the coming weeks.”

Boxxer are hoping to put on at least two shows before Christmas and Starsport understands the first is pencilled in for September 27 but not yet confirmed. It is also understood there is then an agreement for a further two shows early in 2025. There’s no further details on the length of the contract.

Kay-Jelski said: “Bringing professional boxing back to primetime BBC television, free-to-air, and to our extensive digital platforms is an exciting moment for us and for boxing fans.

"This huge platform will give our fights the exposure they deserve and helps us take the sport to huge new audiences.”

Boxxer did not renew their contract with Joshua Buatsi, who departed in February and signed a deal with allegedly’s Matchroom last week. Stars such as Ben Whittaker and Adam Azim have been holding talks with rival promoters.

Budgets will be key with industry experts believing that shows will not be financed heavily by the BBC and thus making it difficult for Boxxer to compete with Matchroom and Queensberry, who are backed big by huge deals with streaming channel DAZN.

Doesn't excite me at all. Ben Schlong isn't a friend of boxing...nor is the BBC.

Schlong has a poor roster of boxers (I don't even include the women boxers he promotes).

This pairing is a meeting of a failing TV organisation and failing boxing promoter, but put them together....and it will still be a load of shite !

THEBUTCH wrote: ↑08 Aug 2025, 04:31 Doesn't excite me at all. Ben Schlong isn't a friend of boxing...nor is the BBC.

Schlong has a poor roster of boxers (I don't even include the women boxers he promotes).

This pairing is a meeting of a failing TV organisation and failing boxing promoter, but put them together....and it will still be a load of shite !

You should include the women, it's probably them that got the BBC interested.

The real difficulty, as always, is money.

Will big fights be able to be put on with the money available?

mickey1975 wrote: ↑08 Aug 2025, 05:06

THEBUTCH wrote: ↑08 Aug 2025, 04:31 Doesn't excite me at all. Ben Schlong isn't a friend of boxing...nor is the BBC.

Schlong has a poor roster of boxers (I don't even include the women boxers he promotes).

This pairing is a meeting of a failing TV organisation and failing boxing promoter, but put them together....and it will still be a load of shite !

You should include the women, it's probably them that got the BBC interested.

I guess women's fights are much cheaper to put on and the BBC will be more comfortable in investing in women

There is literally no point of the deal if it has little advertising. Channel 5 is great on paper, but not even hard core fans know when these fights are on.

With the Website, Terrestial TV and Iplayer all involved - you would think the BBC will invest in some advertising.

Delighted that it’s a mainstream broadcaster.

I can’t express how worrying it is for the sport that everything’s going the way of DAZN.

I’ve never met anyone who pays for DAZN. None of my casual mates have it. If it isn’t on Sky or TNT they don’t know it’s happening.

I really hope it works out & I think we need it to.

I dread to think what state the sport will be in if the Saudi’s & the owners of DAZN decide they’re fed up of losing so much money.

a force wrote: ↑08 Aug 2025, 06:18 Delighted that it’s a mainstream broadcaster.

I can’t express how worrying it is for the sport that everything’s going the way of DAZN.

I’ve never met anyone who pays for DAZN. None of my casual mates have it. If it isn’t on Sky or TNT they don’t know it’s happening.

I really hope it works out & I think we need it to.

I dread to think what state the sport will be in if the Saudi’s & the owners of DAZN decide they’re fed up of losing so much money.

If the Saudis and the owners of DAZN pulled out, Sky and TNT would come back in. It would be like pre DAZN again. This BBC deal is pretty much a waste of time. 2 shows this year, 2 shows next year. It’s pointless. The ratings will be poor cause it won’t be advertised properly, there’ll be no momentum ( one show every 2 months ) and then the Beeb will knock it on the head. It’ll only need one female boxer to get a head injury on terrestrial tv and broadcasters will
run to the hills. Boxxer’s finished.

stujones wrote: ↑08 Aug 2025, 06:17 There is literally no point of the deal if it has little advertising. Channel 5 is great on paper, but not even hard core fans know when these fights are on.

With the Website, Terrestial TV and Iplayer all involved - you would think the BBC will invest in some advertising.

Bunce’s 5live will push it.

stujones wrote: ↑08 Aug 2025, 06:17 There is literally no point of the deal if it has little advertising. Channel 5 is great on paper, but not even hard core fans know when these fights are on.

With the Website, Terrestial TV and Iplayer all involved - you would think the BBC will invest in some advertising.

I do.

Who are we likely to be seeing on these shows ?

Rezzer1967 wrote: ↑08 Aug 2025, 06:39

a force wrote: ↑08 Aug 2025, 06:18 Delighted that it’s a mainstream broadcaster.

I can’t express how worrying it is for the sport that everything’s going the way of DAZN.

I’ve never met anyone who pays for DAZN. None of my casual mates have it. If it isn’t on Sky or TNT they don’t know it’s happening.

I really hope it works out & I think we need it to.

I dread to think what state the sport will be in if the Saudi’s & the owners of DAZN decide they’re fed up of losing so much money.

If the Saudis and the owners of DAZN pulled out, Sky and TNT would come back in. It would be like pre DAZN again. This BBC deal is pretty much a waste of time. 2 shows this year, 2 shows next year. It’s pointless. The ratings will be poor cause it won’t be advertised properly, there’ll be no momentum ( one show every 2 months ) and then the Beeb will knock it on the head. It’ll only need one female boxer to get a head injury on terrestrial tv and broadcasters will
run to the hills. Boxxer’s finished.

I don’t believe the ratings will be poor. Channel 5 regularly had around the million mark with no advertising that I can remember.

I don’t know whether it will be a success or not but I feel like we need it to be.

Fighters who’ve fought on DAZN exclusively just aren’t known. Someone like Dalton Smith is arguably the most talented Yorkshire fighter but outside of hardcore fans no one knows who he is.

I’d argue Dave Allen, Callum Simpson, Terri Harper & obviously Josh Warrington & maybe even Liam Cameron from Yorkshire are all more well known.

I see a situation where the sport has a gradual loss of interest over the next few years until the backers get fed up of losing money.

I don't think 4 shows in 6 months is much for anyone to get that excited about, it needs momentum like a show a month so everyone know it's on.

They could have done 3 on each of the international breaks when there is no Match of the Day for a start with the spare BBC1 spot

The women boxers will tie in nicely with the womens footy. I'd say it's all about the womens stable.

It's cheap and draws good numbers for the BBC.

Just heard his interview. He'll still be doing PPV, but I can't see that being with BBC. SKY?

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑08 Aug 2025, 11:32 Just heard his interview. He'll still be doing PPV, but I can't see that being with BBC. SKY?

My feeling was it will be DAZN as his PPVs are usually linked to Turki anyway - e.g. Eubank Jnr vs Connor Benn - so usually more than one promoter.

stujones wrote: ↑08 Aug 2025, 13:26

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑08 Aug 2025, 11:32 Just heard his interview. He'll still be doing PPV, but I can't see that being with BBC. SKY?

My feeling was it will be DAZN as his PPVs are usually linked to Turki anyway - e.g. Eubank Jnr vs Connor Benn - so usually more than one promoter.

Good point Mr Jones.