Boxing will be big component of ESPN+ service, with live fights and library content
ESPN+, ESPN’s newly announced over-the-top streaming service, will have exclusive live monthly boxing cards, as well as a library of some of the greatest fights in boxing history as part of its subscription fee.
The service begins on Thursday and includes many sports, but will have a significant amount of boxing content.
It will include 12 live fight cards from the U.S. and six international cards that will be exclusive to the ESPN+ service. Its first card will be one of the international shows, featuring former champion Amir “King” Khan against Phil LoGreco from Liverpool, England.
The first U.S. based card will be the WBO welterweight title fight between champion Jeff Horn and pound-for-pound king Terence “Bud” Crawford, on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
In addition to the live fight cards and on-demand archived shows, ESPN+ will also include a consistent studio show, live weigh-ins, news conferences, post-fight interviews and re-airs of all content shown on Top Rank on ESPN bouts, including re-airs of pay-per-view cards.
“ESPN is thrilled to take our relationship with Top Rank to a new level via this innovative and exclusive distribution on ESPN+,” Burke Magnus, ESPN’s executive vice president of programming and scheduling, said in a statement. “By distributing more Top Rank events and boxing content than ever before, we are showing fans our commitment to boxing through a more personalized and targeted manner.”
The ESPN+ service is $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, and in addition to boxing will include live games from MLB, NHL and MLS, tennis, golf and many college sports.
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