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ITV is hopeful of signing a long-term deal with Frank Warren's stable of boxers this week, as part of an ambitious attempt to re-establish the sport among a mass audience after a long absence from its schedules.
The broadcaster's controller of sport Mark Sharman has been negotiating for weeks with Warren, whose hand was strengthened by the positive public and media reaction to Ricky Hatton's epic win over Kostya Tszyu.
Though ITV insiders cautioned that the agreement was yet to be signed and that there was still room for negotiation over a number of last-minute details that could prove to be "deal-breakers", it is understood that the two sides are close to an agreement. One insider said that negotiations had reached a "critical stage".
The deal with Warren is believed to be for about 20 fights a year. The biggest of these clashes will be shown on the main ITV1 network, with some of the less high-profile fights broadcast on ITV2 or used to help launch the new channel ITV4 later this year.
Warren also looks after Joe Calzaghe and the fledgling professional career of the Olympic silver medallist Amir Khan. His existing deal with BSkyB finishes at the end of this month.
The boxing promoter said yesterday that he would sit down with Hatton this week to discuss an opponent for the first defence of his IBF light-welterweight crown, won in Manchester this month.
He confirmed that there were no contractual obstacles to a clash with the WBC champion Floyd Mayweather further down the line. But it is conceivable that the ITV deal would see any such clash pushed back in order to protect Hatton's record and build up expectation.
ITV pulled out of boxing after the clash between Nigel Benn and Gerald McClellan in February 1995 which left McClellan blind and brain-damaged. But last month 6.3m viewers tuned in when the network showed Khan's final outing as an amateur, and it is expected to screen his first fight as a professional next month.
Great NEWS!
The broadcaster's controller of sport Mark Sharman has been negotiating for weeks with Warren, whose hand was strengthened by the positive public and media reaction to Ricky Hatton's epic win over Kostya Tszyu.
Though ITV insiders cautioned that the agreement was yet to be signed and that there was still room for negotiation over a number of last-minute details that could prove to be "deal-breakers", it is understood that the two sides are close to an agreement. One insider said that negotiations had reached a "critical stage".
The deal with Warren is believed to be for about 20 fights a year. The biggest of these clashes will be shown on the main ITV1 network, with some of the less high-profile fights broadcast on ITV2 or used to help launch the new channel ITV4 later this year.
Warren also looks after Joe Calzaghe and the fledgling professional career of the Olympic silver medallist Amir Khan. His existing deal with BSkyB finishes at the end of this month.
The boxing promoter said yesterday that he would sit down with Hatton this week to discuss an opponent for the first defence of his IBF light-welterweight crown, won in Manchester this month.
He confirmed that there were no contractual obstacles to a clash with the WBC champion Floyd Mayweather further down the line. But it is conceivable that the ITV deal would see any such clash pushed back in order to protect Hatton's record and build up expectation.
ITV pulled out of boxing after the clash between Nigel Benn and Gerald McClellan in February 1995 which left McClellan blind and brain-damaged. But last month 6.3m viewers tuned in when the network showed Khan's final outing as an amateur, and it is expected to screen his first fight as a professional next month.
Great NEWS!
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