DAZN sure knows how to generate headlines when it comes to boxing in the United States. Earlier this year DAZN had the sports media buzzing over its 11-fight $365 million deal with super middleweight star Canelo Alvarez. Now, with the first of those fights on the horizon, DAZN has stolen headlines again by targeting the presidents of both the United States and Mexico.
The company took out a full page ad in USA Today inviting both Donald Trump and Mexico’s new president Andres Manuel López Obrador to sit ringside at Madison Square Garden on December 15. The ad is headlined “THE DONALD. THE GARDEN. THE OFFER” and reads:
Dear President Trump,
There’s a new president in Mexico, and in time you will welcome him to our nation’s capital.
We have a better idea. A chance for you to host President Lopez Obrador at one of our country’s greatest buildings in front of one of his country’s greatest heroes.
We’re offering you two ringside seats for Canelo Alvarez vs. Rocky Fielding at Madison Square Garden on December 15.
Our nation’s new sports streaming platform DAZN (pronounced Da-Zone) will make the fight available for free for new subscribers. So millions will be watching.
No sitting president has ever attended a prize fight. You would be the first.
Let’s make some history on December 15.
DAZN
Awful Announcing called it “a bold play,” which is fun to say, but isn’t really true. John Skipper and other DAZN executives don’t really care if the two presidents show up. This ad is all about creating more buzz for Canelo vs. Fielding, which is why the line about the fight being free for new subscribers happens to be in there.
The weird thing is, if there was ever a president that would take DAZN up on this offer, it’s Donald Trump. George W. Bush was a baseball fanatic. Barack Obama loved basketball. Donald Trump has a long history with combat sports. He was ringside for a number of WWE, UFC, and boxing events held at his Trump Taj Mahal Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City.
