Dana White and Zuffa Boxing sign long-term deal with Sky Sports as they continue to make waves in the boxing space
Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing have signed a statement broadcast deal with British sports powerhouse Sky Sports.
Sky Sports are by far the U.K.’s leading sports broadcaster, the home of Premier League football, and now the U.K. home of Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing.
Sky Sports have been away from boxing for close to a year now after not renewing their deal with BOXXER and Ben Shalom.
With the U.K.’s biggest promoters Matchroom Boxing and Queensberry Promotions both being on DAZN, it looked like Sky Sports would leave a sport they once dominated.
Sending shockwaves through the world of professional boxing, TKO and Dana White have made brash statements in their launch into the sport.
Despite being just two events into this venture, they have already ruffled the feathers of the existing promoters in the sport, as they intend to do things the Zuffa way.
White is currently in the process of making amendments to the Muhammed Ali Act.
Dana White is creating a Zuffa belt in an attempt to govern his own promotion without the need for the four existing governing bodies.
This is a similar model to the success that White has had in MMA, with the UFC possessing a large share of the MMA market.
Zuffa Boxing’s first two shows have landed on Paramount+, and with this broadcast deal having serious financial backing, it gives White an advantage on rival promoters in America like Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions, who are experiencing current broadcast problems.
A deal with Sky Sports will entice British talent to join Zuffa Boxing, knowing that they will have the potential to fight in front of a prime-time British audience on Sky Sports.
Zuffa Boxing will join Most Valuable Promotions on the platform, who recently announced an all-female London event headlined by Caroline Dubois vs. Terri Harper.
The deal means many fantastic nights of action will be featured on Sky Sports, including at least five British-based shows a year
The first Zuffa Boxing event to feature on Sky Sports will be the recently-announced clash between Andres Cortes and Eridson Garcia.
Sky and Zuffa will be revealing their fight schedule over the next few weeks, with Dana White saying on the deal, “The U.K. has played such a pivotal role throughout the history of boxing. The fans there are some of the most loyal and passionate in the world. When you talk about boxing in that region, Sky Sports has always been the home for legendary boxing fights. There’s no bigger or better platform to showcase the best boxing in the U.K.”
“This is a massive milestone for Zuffa Boxing”, the UFC boss concluded.
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