DAZN has confirmed a multi-year deal with Anthony Joshua that will see the sports streaming company broadcast the British heavyweight boxing star’s upcoming rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in the UK.
The global rights agreement with DAZN is worth a nine-figure US dollar fee that could earn Joshua hundreds of millions over the course of the contract. The UK paper also reports that the first bout covered in the contract will be with Usyk in August as the two boxers split a £100 million purse to fight for the IBF, WBA and WBO belts in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Joshua’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing, signed a major global broadcast deal with DAZN in 2021 but the heavyweight star’s home territory rights were tied up with UK pay-TV network Sky until his defeat to Usyk last year.
DAZN has broadcast Joshua’s fights in the US since May 2018, when Matchroom signed its first deal with the UK-based media company.
The new agreement means all of Joshua’s future bouts will now be broadcast in the UK on DAZN, likely via the pay-per-view (PPV) platform the media company launched last year. Joshua’s DAZN agreement reportedly includes a minimum requirement of two fights annually over a term that could reach five years.
In addition, Joshua will become a shareholder in DAZN, as well as a brand ambassador and special advisor with a seat on the media company’s strategic board.
