Over the last eight years, ESPN has been the broadcast home for Top Rank boxing on its linear television channels and ESPN+ streaming platform. Yet the company is not expected to renew its deal with the promotion, reportedly opting to move on as the rights become available to the open marketplace. As reported by Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports, the deal between both entities had been amended after its first year to 54 events that were split annually between ESPN and ESPN+. The company could reportedly look to exit its agreement early if Top Rank is able to find a new partner, although Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery are said not to be interested in the property amid preliminary discussions.
Top Rank elicited more than 1.5 million viewers per show during the first year of the deal and was responsible for the 12 most-viewed fights on cable television. A bout between Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn drew an average of 3.93 million viewers, marking the most-watched and highest-rated boxing telecast to air on cable television since 2006. Over the last several years, there have been seminal alterations in the media rights surrounding boxing, including the move of Premier Boxing Champions to Amazon last year.
“We are in dialogue with ESPN and many other parties regarding our media rights,” Evan Korn, director of communications for Top Rank Boxing, said in a statement. “While we never comment on the specifics of those discussions, we place tremendous value in our existing relationship with ESPN and the industry-defining experience we have together delivered to combat sports fans globally for the past eight years.”
The broadcast rights for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will become available at the end of the year, and a report last month indicated that the entity is looking to receive more than $1 billion per annum. An exclusive negotiating window between ESPN and UFC that expires on April 15 is expected to pass without a deal, according to John Ourand of Puck. TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of the property, recently attained a 10-year deal reportedly worth $5 billion for WWE Raw to air on Netflix.
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