Producer Dana White Secures Exclusive Netflix Agreement for Canelo-Crawford Boxing Showdown
Let's Talk Boxing: Dana White and the Exciting New Era Ahead
It's about time for a dream come true for UFC CEO, Dana White. The highly anticipated match between Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford is set to take place in Las Vegas on Sept. 13, and guess who's hopping on the promotion train? That's right, your boy Dana! This global extravaganza will air on Netflix, bringing boxing excitement to millions worldwide.
Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Alalshikh and Saudi events company Sela will also hop aboard this promotional train. Together, they'll ride it all the way to Las Vegas. Back in March, these gentlemen revealed their plans to build a brand-new boxing league, similar to the UFC. Dana's long-cherished desire was to broadcast a fight on the same channel worldwide, and with Netflix, that dream is becoming a reality.
In fact, back in March, Alalshikh struck a deal for four standalone Álvarez fights, including one against William Scull in Riyadh this May, which earned Álvarez undisputed super middleweight world champion status once more. That event streamed as a DAZN pay-per-view. But now, Dana wanted to shake things up, making boxing more accessible to all.
"My big dream in my life was I would put on a fight one day, where it would be on the same channel all over the world, and everybody could watch it at the same time," Dana said. And Netflix's vast global audience of over 300 million subscribers will make that dream a reality, at least for them.
Last year, Netflix broke streaming records with the match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. This summer, it's airing an all-women card from Madison Square Garden headlined by a Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano rematch. Will Canelo-Crawford be able to top those records? They've still got a way to go, considering the young boxing phenoms, Paul, and Tyson had an estimated 108 million viewers, and Canelo and Crawford have significantly fewer Instagram followers combined.
Netflix has been focusing on event-based sports, particularly those with global appeal, as it expands its collection of live sports rights. And they're not done—UFC parent TKO Group Holdings has been negotiating new media deals, reportedly with Netflix being one of the contenders for some of the inventory. As for Dana's new boxing league, TKO hasn't announced a media partner yet, so we'll have to wait and see.
Dana teased a sneak peek of his new boxing venture, Zuffa Boxing, on his Instagram. Zuffa was the parent company of UFC before it was sold to Endeavor, and Dana has expressed interest in boxing promotions since wearing a "Zuffa Boxing" shirt back in 2017.
The New York Times reported that a TKO-supported boxing league could potentially earn the company close to $30 million per year in management fees. But for now, it's all about the upcoming Canelo-Crawford match. To drum up excitement, the promoters announced a three-stop press tour, including stops in Riyadh, New York City, and Las Vegas. Venue and ticket details for the bout remain under wraps.
Fun fact: Dana tends to schedule events close to Sept. 16, Mexican Independence Day. Last year, his Sept. 14 defeat of Edgar Berlanga went up against UFC 306 at Las Vegas' Sphere. So grab your popcorn, folks! Dana White's newest promotion is about to get the show on the road!
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The NFL Goes Beyond Broadcast and Cable: Enter 'New TV'
- Dana White's upcoming boxing promotion, Zuffa Boxing, aims to make boxing more accessible to all, targeting a wider audience beyond traditional cable and broadcast platforms.
- The NFL, following a similar trend, is also venturing into 'New TV', demonstrating a shift towards digital and streaming platforms for sports entertainment.
