Will ESPN stay in boxing after 2025?

Read an article awhile back. Ol Bobfather was interviewed and he was talking about TRs contract is up this year and they (ESPN) are asking for better fights upon renewal

I don’t see how it’s good for the sport with just DAZN airing every mid to big fight. Amazon doesn’t really count yet, they’ve barely put on any shows. If TR leaves ESPN, I’m hoping they land at another network besides DAZN, maybe Fox/FSN, Pea**** or maybe even ProBoxTV, and then ESPN continues with something similar to FNF. I know that’s unlikely, but not impossible. Wishful thinking but sounding unrealistic unfortunately

I don’t see how it’s good for the sport with just DAZN airing every mid to big fight. Amazon doesn’t really count yet, they’ve barely put on any shows. If TR leaves ESPN, I’m hoping they land at another network besides DAZN, maybe Fox/FSN, Peacock or maybe even ProBoxTV, and then ESPN continues with something similar to FNF. I know that’s unlikely, but not impossible.

Exactly, that was the FNF model. Do you think there is any chance ESPN would go back to something similar to this? Also, any idea which network Top Rank will land with? Not saying they're definitely leaving ESPN but I think it's likely they do. I dont know. Killing the FNF series was insisted on by PBC as part of their deal with ESPN years ago. I dont know if that stands in perpetuity, or if they could revive it. Thats assuming of course they even wanted to. Its impossible these days to get most fighters to fight a decent opponent for less than $50 million or whatever nonsense demands are at the moment, so I dont see how you could make it work today with the kind of budgets we worked with back then. I think the last ESPN show I did the ENTIRE purse budget was probably $90 grand. Even if you indexed it for inflation, you couldnt get it done. Back then you had alot of fighters wanting to "prove" themselves. These days it seems like most fighters couldnt be less interested in proving themselves, they are just looking for a payday.......

Probably DAZN. My guess is Top Rank will go to a different network than DAZN, or maybe it’ll be DAZN plus another network

I miss FNF. What real boxing fan wouldn’t? You got a regular dose of the sport, while waiting for the increasingly scarce big fight. And we saw some great battles from time to time.

It sounds like the Top Rank-ESPN contract will not be extended after the summer of 2025. ESPN leaving boxing I think would be damaging for the sport. Has anyone heard if ESPN will stay in boxing after TR partnership is over? Apparently the Bobfather and his crew are negotiating with Netflix Seems like ESPN will be exiting the sport HBO after dark , Shobox and Friday night fights were all credible stepping stones for boxers One by one leaving the sport Quite fughin sad if you ask me

Exactly, that was the FNF model. Do you think there is any chance ESPN would go back to something similar to this? Also, any idea which network Top Rank will land with? Not saying they're definitely leaving ESPN but I think it's likely they do. Probably DAZN.

It used to be the proving ground, like the minors in baseball. You get on ESPN and show what you can do, and then maybe you graduate to Showtime or HBO. And back then ANYONE could sell a fight to ESPN. I even did 3 or 4 of them myself. You would submit a fight to them for consideration, and they would either buy it, or they wouldnt. It didnt matter if you were this promoter, or that promoter, if you had a good fight to sell they would buy it....... Exactly, that was the FNF model. Do you think there is any chance ESPN would go back to something similar to this? Also, any idea which network Top Rank will land with? Not saying they're definitely leaving ESPN but I think it's likely they do.

Hopefully with smaller promoters and more promising fighters that want the exposure. If they leave then boxing takes a hit? It used to be the proving ground, like the minors in baseball. You get on ESPN and show what you can do, and then maybe you graduate to Showtime or HBO. And back then ANYONE could sell a fight to ESPN. I even did 3 or 4 of them myself. You would submit a fight to them for consideration, and they would either buy it, or they wouldnt. It didnt matter if you were this promoter, or that promoter, if you had a good fight to sell they would buy it.......

ESPN had Friday Night Fights for 15-20 years, stopped some time around 2016 and moved to PBC which was a disaster. FNF was IMO tremendous for the sport. It wasn't the best vs the best, but it was right below that and had many great fights on it. I'd like to see them get back to something similar.

If they are smart they leave. What's the point in signing up is for it where the best don't fight each other are overpaid and demand Pay-Per-View fights for even fighting a halfway decent contender