DAZN signs exclusive five-year deal with boxer Canelo

DAZN has signed a deal with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez that will see the boxer fight exclusively on the sports streaming service for the next five years.

The 11-fight deal – two fights per year following the first bout in December – is reportedly worth a minimum of US$365 million, with DAZN describing it as “the richest contract for an athlete in sporting history”.

DAZN added that the deal also signals “the beginning of the end for pay-per-view”, which has traditionally been the home of boxing’s biggest fights.

The partnership will see boxing company Golden Boy Promotions hold up to 10 fight nights per year that DAZN will stream live and exclusively from early 2019 in the US, Canada, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Japan.

Viewers will be able to watch the Canelo and 10 Golden Boy Promotions fights a year for a monthly subscription fee, which is priced at US$9.99 per-month in the US and €9.99 in European markets like Germany and Italy.

“We are committed to making this sport as accessible as possible and at an affordable price for all the fans,” said Golden Boy Promotions chairman and CEO, Oscar De La Hoya.

“My dream has been to make boxing a sport for all. DAZN has the perfect platform to make this dream come true, and with the biggest star in the sport at the helm of this journey, I have no doubts that we will succeed in unimaginable ways.”

De La Hoya established LA-based Golden Boy Promotions in 2002. As part of the DAZN deal he will executive produce the 12 live fight nights per year, with live production to be a collaboration between DAZN and Golden Boy Media and Entertainment.