Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?
Sky Sports is back on level ground after losing more broadcasting rights to DAZN.
The division of Comcast secured a four-year deal with Top Rank Boxing, per The Athletic. The first fight airs this Saturday.
Sky Sports’ 27-year run with Matchroom ended earlier this month when the boxing producer announced a five-year deal with DAZN as an exclusive broadcast partner in the U.K. and Ireland. The deal goes into effect July 1 and is worth more than $100 million.
It wasn’t the first time DAZN took broadcasting rights from Sky — in March, DAZN was granted international Serie A rights in a three-year, $2.95 billion deal.
“Top Rank has a deeper stable of star power, and that will be a boon to Sky Sports’ content schedule, but the network will surely miss the presence of all the U.K. fighters Matchroom offered,” said Mike Coppinger, The Athletic’s boxing insider.
- Sky won’t receive any rights to Tyson Fury’s fights, as the Top Rank co-promoted boxer has an exclusive TV deal with BT Sport.
- The time difference means some American fights will air in the middle of the night in the U.K.
Last year, Top Rank’s founder and CEO Bob Arum — who’s worth a reported $350 million — said he’s open to selling the company. “If it was sold to the right people, it would do better than it’s doing now.”
Download the FOS App
The business of sports, in your pocket.
Scan the QR code to get the app now.
