Top Rank Boxing is likely to split its U.S. media rights between multiple networks after its pact with ESPN ends later this year, according to founder and CEO Bob Arum. The boxing promoter is in the last year of its agreement with the Disney-owned network, and Arum told SBJ that “we’ve been talking about our trip with ESPN (that) is coming to an end,” as previously reported by Front Office Sports.
ESPN “has spent its money on the NBA and college football, particularly the SEC,” Arum said. But he added that Top Rank is feeling confident in its negotiations with media companies because “there’s so many outlets that we have, that our plan is to not rely on one outlet but to have like in other sports various outlets take our product.” Arum is the legendary 93-year-old promoter whose first event was Muhammad Ali-George Chuvalo in 1966 and who 60 years later astonishingly has now helped put together nearly 2,200 boxing cards.
Arum is still deeply involved in the business of Top Rank and travels all over the world for fights. But he also delegates much of the day-to-day responsibilities of Top Rank to President Todd duBoef, who is also his son-in-law, along with duBoef’s staff.
DAZN has become one of the most prolific players in combat sports in recent years, and some see it as a possible candidate to take some of Top Rank’s rights. SBJ could not immediately establish how much Top Rank is asking for its rights. Remaining bullish about the sport that his life has revolved around, Arum called boxing “really a giant in hiding in plain sight.”
He added: “The reason for that is because there’s so many different outlets for people, different streaming services that are still over the air, there’s other ways like YouTube to reach consumers, so there is a tremendous demand for product. Now, when you look at the cost of boxing, it is relatively low compared to other sports.”
