Queensberry Promotions Inks Deal with DAZN to Broadcast Fights

Queensberry Promotions has been scoring victories outside of the boxing ring during 2024. There have been a number of strong signings by the promotion that have excited fans. Queensberry won a five-on-five event with Matchroom, according to online boxing news.

Thanks to its strong year, Queensberry signed a deal with DAZN to broadcast its fights. That deal will start in April 2024 and should give Queensberry an opportunity to showcase a deep roster of fighters. There are a lot of changes going on in boxing promotions right now.

There is a bit of a vacuum with the end of Showtime Boxing and the Saudi Arabian money that has found its way into the sport. There should be an opportunity for Queensberry to make major waves with the wider audience that a broadcast contract with DAZN can bring in.

Queensberry is Warren’s Baby

Frank Warren, 72, has fought his way up the boxing promotions ladder. When Warren first started promoting fights, he couldn’t get a license from the British Boxing Board of Control in 1980. The first unlicensed show took place at the Bloomsbury Crest Hotel in London.

Warren found success with promoting these smaller events and quickly became a major player in British boxing. During Warren’s time in the sport, he managed Nigel Benn, Joe Galzahe, Ricky Hatton, Derek Chisora, Nicky Piper, and Amir Khan.

The world boxing latest news shows that Warren survived a shooting in 1989. In 2011, Warren started a TV channel called BoxNation. It was originally free in partnership with Sky Sports but later became a pay channel.

Stable of Fighters is Impressive

Queensberry Promotions is stacked up with plenty of championship-caliber talent. It’s hard to believe that Tyson Fury may not be the best heavyweight under the promotion’s banner anymore. While there is a chance that Fury could beat Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch to reclaim the heavyweight title, he doesn’t have the momentum he used to.

Fury has flirted with retirement several times. Meanwhile, Daniel Dubois is coming off the best win of his career. Dubois recently knocked out Anthony Joshua to regain his mojo.

Dubois had previously challenged Usyk but lost a fight that was marred by a controversy over a low blow. While many people sided with Usyk, heavyweight boxing news shows there may be an appetite for a rematch.

Winning 5 on 5 Event Gave Them More Cred

Warren’s group didn’t just beat Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing during a five-on-five event; the Queensberry fighters put together some impressive performances. Zhilei Zhang highlighted the event by knocking out former champion Deontay Wilder in the fifth round.

But there were plenty of impressive performances beyond that. Dubois knocked out Filip Hrgović in the eighth round, while English fighter Nick Ball won via split decision. Matchroom has seen a lot more mainstream success in boxing over the past ten years than Queensberry. There was talk of a second five vs. five event next year, but the talk is that that event will no longer happen.

There may be more to lose for Matchroom by participating than what they have to gain. However, with DAZN’s involvement, more money may be put into the pool to make it happen.

DAZN Has Become the King for Boxing

When Showtime decided to get out of the boxing business, there was a void that was opening up. ESPN is in the game with Top Rank but hasn’t made a major move to bring many more boxing promotions into the fold. DAZN now has contracts with Matchroom, Golden Boy Promotions, and Misfits Boxing.

DAZN was formed in 2015 and has a worldwide presence. The channel is available in more than 200 countries. As the world moves toward streaming and away from a regular cable model, the battle over rights for live sports has gotten intense.

Amazon, Netflix, and Paramount have all gotten into the arena for getting live sports rights. While boxing hasn’t always been at the top of tech companies’ lists, Jake Paul and Mike Tyson’s boxing match will be featured on Netflix.

Warren is Thrilled Over the Deal

Warren believes this new setup is a win for him, the fighters, and the fans. This provides security for everyone hoping to see more high-end boxing matches.

“I could not be more pleased that Queensberry is joining DAZN,” Warren said in a news release. “This is a brilliant move for our fighters and, most importantly, for the fans. Their ambition and passion for the sport of boxing aligns perfectly with that of our own, and we now look forward to putting on the biggest nights possible together.”

What made Queensberry attractive to DAZN was how the brand has grown over the past few years. Queensberry CEO said this is a move that could propel the brand forward in a big way. “This is a hugely proud moment for Queensberry, as we join forces with leading platform DAZN on an exclusive basis,” George Warren said. “Queensberry has undergone an unprecedented growth period over the past 18 months and firmly established ourselves as a leading promotional and events company. Now, with DAZN in our corner, we can further accelerate our positioning on a global scale. This deal is also fantastic news for boxing fans across the world as we combine our best-in-class stable of fighters with what we consider to be the most ambitious streaming platform in sport.”

Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com.

By Dean McHugh.