DAZN Nears Deal With Top Rank Amid Alleged Matchroom Frustrations

Top Rank Boxing is slated to have a new home following its exit from ESPN.

Perform Group’s DAZN streaming platform is in the process of finalizing a deal with Bob Arum’s legacy boxing promotion, Front Office Sports has confirmed. An official announcement is expected later this week. The news was first reported by Ring Magazine, which has since deleted its story.

“As company policy, we do not confirm, deny, or comment on market rumours or speculation regarding M&A, partnerships or rights deals,” a DAZN spokesperson said in a statement to FOS.

The move comes as DAZN has had frustrations with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing and is seeking to expand its events inventory as it plays defense against Zuffa Boxing, sources told FOS. DAZN and Matchroom signed an eight-year deal worth $1 billion in 2018. The two sides recently agreed to a five-year extension through 2031.

One point of friction is the perception among DAZN officials that Hearn was “double-dipping” by placing Matchroom fighters on other cards while collecting nine figures annually from DAZN. Matchroom boxers Anthony Joshua, Dmitry Bivol, Conor Benn, Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, and Jai Opetaia all competed on Riyadh Season and/or Ring cards, bankrolled by Saudi Arabia General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Alalshikh (Benn and Opetaia have since left for Zuffa).

Katie Taylor, who is a Matchroom boxer, fought Amanda Serrano twice on Netflix cards for Jake Paul’s MVP promotion, including on the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul undercard in Nov. 2024 and as a main event at Madison Square Garden last July. 

While many of the aforementioned Riyadh Season and Ring events aired on DAZN, Matchroom’s strategy has pivoted on at least one occasion in 2026. In October, Hearn told Alalshikh’s Ring Magazine that Callum Smith vs. David Morrell was expected to take place in Saudi Arabia. It was later announced that it will take place on a Matchroom card in Liverpool, England, on April 18. DAZN owns a 40% stake in Matchroom.

A spokesperson for DAZN disputed accounts of friction with Matchroom. “There’s absolutely no truth in the suggestion that DAZN is frustrated with Matchroom. As you know, we have just signed a new five-year deal with Matchroom, and we are very happy with our strong relationship and long-standing partnership,” the spokesperson said.

In the meantime, Hearn has been beefing with Zuffa, the joint venture between Saudi Arabia’s Sela and TKO, with leadership including Alalshikh, WWE president Nick Khan, and UFC CEO Dana White. Zuffa, like UFC, airs on Paramount+. The same group also produces major standalone events, including last September’s Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence “Bud” Crawford showcase on Netflix. 

Zuffa signed Opetaia away from Matchroom in January. Zuffa sought to sign Rodriguez to a multi-year deal, but Matchroom exercised a matching clause. Zuffa then made a move on Benn, a rising star from the UK, offering a one-fight deal worth $15 million that Hearn declined to match, according to SI’s Chris Mannix. 

TKO president and COO Mark Shapiro said on an earnings call that Sela funded the Benn signing. The parent company of UFC and WWE has several incentive markers as an operator to acquire equity in Zuffa, but is not investing cash in the venture.

As the bidding war over fighters has escalated, Hearn has engaged in a particularly pointed back-and-forth with White. The UFC CEO said Hearn “works for his dad.” Hearn responded that White’s “dad for many years has been the Fertitta brothers, and now he’s got a new daddy called Turki Alalshikh.”

In response, Alalshikh wrote on Twitter/X, “Eddie, don’t worry, I am always here for you. And if you call me, unlike Conor Benn, I will answer the phone.” Hearn has also needled White about fighter pay, starting up a talent management business, and signing UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall as his first client.   

Top Rank, led by the legendary 94-year-old promoter Arum and his stepson Todd duBoef, has been looking for a new rights deal for more than a year. Front Office Sports first reported last February that its partnership with ESPN would not be renewed, and their final show together was in July.

ESPN was paying Top Rank about $85 million per year. Ring reports that DAZN’s deal with Top Rank is for substantially less money: 8-10 fight events per year at $1-1.25 million per event.

Nevertheless, Top Rank’s roster features several compelling fighters, including Xander Zayas, Emanuel Navarrete, Keyshawn Davis, Bruce Carrington, Emiliano Vargas, and Abdullah Mason. 

Arum has previously taken potshots at DAZN. Speaking about having Top Rank boxer Artur Beterbiev potentially fight against Matchroom’s Bivol in 2022, Arum told Boxing Scene, “We ain’t doing a fight on ‘Dead-Zone’ which nobody watches.” He changed his tune in late 2024, saying, “DAZN are doing a great job in boxing and the people who run DAZN are friends of ours.” Hearn and Arum have also made plenty of negative comments about each other over the years.