Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing announced a multi-year media rights agreement with UK broadcast giant Sky Sports on Wednesday.
The deal will see all Zuffa Boxing events worldwide be shown on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, beginning with Zuffa Boxing 5 on April 5 at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. The card is headlined by an Andres Cortes vs. Eridson Garcia lightweight clash, while Ireland’s Feargal McCrory battles Mark Magsayo in the co-feature.
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Zuffa will also promote a minimum of five events per year on UK soil, which will be broadcast on Sky.
The UK became an integral market for Zuffa Boxing after they made the shocking signing of British boxing superstar Conor Benn this past month. Benn’s agreement with Zuffa is a one-fight deal to face Regis Prograis — for a reported sum of $15 million — on the April 11 Netflix-streamed Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov undercard.
Zuffa Boxing, however, plans to continue working with Benn after the fight against Prograis, with Mark Shapiro, the president of Zuffa’s parent company TKO, stating in a recent investor call that they hope to have Benn fighting in their league. Zuffa also promotes Ireland’s Callum Walsh.
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Thus far, Zuffa Boxing has promoted four shows featuring lesser-known fighters on Paramount+ at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. Zuffa hopes to roll out its league format soon with Zuffa Boxing championship belts, but needs the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act to pass before it can do so.
Zuffa is a partnership between Saudi Arabia’s SELA and TKO, the parent company of the WWE and UFC. WWE President Nick Khan, UFC CEO White and boxing fight financier Turki Alalshikh have been the faces of the new venture.
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“Sky Sports has been a long-standing partner to boxing for more than 30 years,” said Sky Sports’ Chief Officer UK & Ireland, Jonathan Licht. “Zuffa Boxing has exciting plans for the sport, and we share that same ambition when it comes to putting on the best fights for our customers.
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“We look forward to a new era where we’ll use our platform to both build stars and showcase elite boxing talent here in the UK and internationally.”
“The UK has played such a pivotal role throughout the history of boxing,” White said.
“This is a massive milestone for Zuffa Boxing.”