A few months ago, while talking with Tha Boxing Voice, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum stated, “ESPN has been a great partner for us,” and was trying to do everything to re-negotiate the deal with them before expiration in 2025. But it looks like the eight-year collaboration that started in 2018 will not continue past 2025. It looks like the talks have halted or the plans have slightly changed and Arum is trying to take his promotional company in a completely new direction.

Boxing is changing and evolving for the first time in many years and Arum does not want to stay behind the curve. In fact, the 92-year-old is trying to revolutionize the sport in his own way. In a recent podcast with journalist Dan Rafael on his Big Fight Weekend, he discussed his new PPV partnerships and how he is trying to get a new format of broadcasting.

Boxing to turn a new leaf

Arum talked about his new strategy and how the Top Rank wants to follow a similar broadcasting strategy as the NFL and NBA. According to the promoter, he wants to crack multi-platform broadcast packages and not rely on one network. “What we’re trying to do is to do what other major sports have been doing, whether it’s the NFL or the NBA, is to do packages,” said Arum.

This is not the first time that the promoter has shown his interest in streaming platforms taking up boxing. In March, he talked about how impressed he was that Netflix and Amazon Prime have started streaming boxing matches. He further mentioned how this will be so much helpful in penetrating a wider audience.

While Bob Arum was perfectly happy with his deal with ESPN+, he now wants to take it up a notch. “So you get more than one television entity involved and that’s what we’re doing,” said the New York native. It looks like Top Rank is going to partner up with multiple television and streaming services. It will give the audience more options and different channels.

He further added, “We’ll be announcing soon the concluding deals with various entities which I think will lead to increased coverage of boxing at least from Top Rank’s perspective in the United States.” While everything indicates that the talks with ESPN+ have broken down. However, there may be a silver lining. There is a chance that ESPN+ might be one of those entities, but they will only broadcast major PPVs by Top Rank, while some other broadcasters will pick up the B Shows.

Well, the boxing promotion is still in the market searching for entities, we will get our answers soon. Meanwhile, Bob Arum has raised everyone’s expectations as he teased a mega-fight in 2025.

Bob Arum promises a mega-fight

During the podcast, Arum revealed that they are planning the next fight for ‘Monster’ Naoya Inoue. He teased possibly “the biggest fight in the history of Japan,” as he wanted to see his fighter face compatriot and WBC Bantamweight champion, Junto Nakatani.

Bob Arum talked about the magnitude of the fight and how it would steal the show at the world-famous Tokyo Dome. But before that, Inoue has to face Sam Goodman on December 24 on Christmas Eve in Japan, in Tokyo. Arum stated that, right after the Goodman bout they will focus on a clash against Nakatani and revealed a possible date for the fight.

“Whenever we can get the Tokyo Dome, that’s the key. Brad Jacobs (COO of Top Rank) has met with the head guy at the Tokyo Dome and they‘re aiming for a date in the summer or fall of next year to do that fight,” said Arum while talking about how he won’t let this fight happen at any other place than the Dome.

If Top Rank can crack a multi-broadcast channel deal before this mega fight, we might see some competition between those entities to acquire the rights of this fight. Nonetheless, this deal is going to change Top Rank boxing and will give the audience far more options.

What do you think about this new strategy by Bob Arum? Do you think Top Rank shifting to multi broadcasting partner will help the sport? Let us know your thoughts down below.