Will ESPN stay in boxing after 2025?

[spider_rico]

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?

[Sheikh]

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

[spider_rico]

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.

[Groin Grabber]

Hopefully with smaller promoters and more promising fighters that want the exposure.

If they leave then boxing takes a hit?

[OnePunch]

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.......

[spider_rico]

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.

[TelMex]

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.

[MulaKO]

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

[CubanGuyNYC]

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.

[spider_rico]

Probably DAZN.

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