Promoter Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing made a name for themselves in bringing the best boxing events to the U.K and soon became a global brand for the sport worldwide. Today in New York City, Hearn announced a partnership between Matchroom Boxing and the sports streaming service DAZN, which is owned by Perform Group.
Matchroom Boxing is partnering with DAZN to air many more boxing matches and to also expand in bringing different sports. Hearn said that this is a $1 billion deal that will last for eight years. The United States will host 16 fights per year. The launch will come in June. Official fights in the U.S. will begin in September.
Hearn also said that he wants to appeal to the fans by airing all nights on this platform and not just the main event fights when they come on at 10PM. He even welcomed all fighters that are talented and want to work with him to get noticed under this stage.
Perform Group CEO Simon Denyer said that there is a one time fee for the DAZN streaming service. There are no contracts and it is free for the first month. Users will also not be charged if they pause the use of the service for a particular timeframe. The streaming will be available for all devices whether it’s on a TV, computer, PlayStation, or Xbox.
I spoke to Hearn about how the partnership with DAZN helps balance the top boxing matches between the United States and United Kingdom so that venues here can also host major fights the way they have overseas with huge acts such as Anthony Joshua.
“The good news for the fans on the platform is that they’ll have our U.K shows as well,” said Hearn. “Some fights have been on HBO and Showtime and now they’ll all be on DAZN. Now it’s a situation where we’ve got to get the balance right. We will do about 20 shows a year in the U.K. and 16 shows in the U.S on DAZN.”
Flip the pages to watch Hearn discuss the launch of Matchroom Boxing’s deal with DAZN.