View source for Boxing on ESPN

{{Short description|Boxing telecasts aired by U.S. cable network ESPN}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2015}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2015}}

The cable television network [[ESPN]] has occasionally broadcast [[boxing]] events over the majority of its history, as part of several arrangements, including contracts with specific promotions and consortiums such as [[Golden Boy Promotions]], [[Premier Boxing Champions]], and [[Top Rank]], as well as '''''Friday Night Fights'''''—a semi-regular series that was broadcast by ESPN and [[ESPN2]] from 1998 through 2015.

== ''Top Rank Boxing'' ==
{{further|Top Rank#Top Rank Boxing on ESPN}}
From 1980 to 1996, ESPN broadcast fights from the promoter [[Top Rank]] through a weekly series known as '''''Top Rank Boxing'''''; it was an early staple of ESPN's programming in the 1980s. Top Rank and ESPN later broke away from the partnership; Top Rank shifted its focus on targeting Spanish-language audiences in the U.S., while ESPN succeeded the broadcasts with a new series, ''Friday Night Fights'', which would feature bouts from other promoters. In 2009, ESPN and Top Rank began discussing a renewed deal; co-founder [[Bob Arum]] expressed dissatisfaction at the promotion's previous package for [[NBCSN|Versus]], which featured a large number of low-quality bouts. Arum explained that he would be more likely to deal with ESPN for individual fights rather than a long-term contract, explaining that "I ain't coming to them saying, 'Will you buy this fight or that fight.' We're past that. Give me a couple of dates and let us program them. You like them? Fine, give us a couple of more."<ref name="espn-toprankhistory">{{cite web|title=No longer fighting, Top Rank, ESPN talk about fights|url=http://www.espn.com/blog/dan-rafael/post/_/id/283/no-longer-fighting-top-rank-espn-talk-fights|website=[[ESPN.com]]|date=September 3, 2009 |publisher=[[ESPN Inc.]]|access-date=July 1, 2017}}</ref>

On June 17, 2017, ''The Ring'' reported that Top Rank was nearing a two-year deal to air a package of fights on ESPN, citing growing dissatisfaction with cuts to [[HBO World Championship Boxing|HBO]]'s boxing coverage that limited scheduling options for fights. As a result, Top Rank declined to give HBO the rights to the then-upcoming [[Manny Pacquiao vs. Jeff Horn]]. The partnership was also said to include access to ESPN's archives for a planned Top Rank [[over-the-top content|over-the-top]] service. On June 19, 2017, ESPN announced that it had acquired rights to broadcast Pacquiao vs. Horn, marking Pacquiao's first fight on a non-premium channel, and his first non-pay per view fight since 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxingscene.com/pacquiao-horn-air-live-on-espn-9pm-et6pm-pt--117713|title=Pacquiao-Horn To Air Live on ESPN, 9PM ET/6PM PT|website=Boxing Scene|date=June 19, 2017 |language=en-us|access-date=June 20, 2017}}</ref><ref name="sbnation-espntoprank">{{cite web|title=ESPN to televise Manny Pacquiao's next fight as part of new Top Rank agreement|url=https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2017/6/19/15826854/report-espn-manny-pacquiao-vs-jeff-horn-new-top-rank-agreement-boxing-news|website=Bloody Elbow (SB Nation)|publisher=Vox Media|access-date=June 19, 2017}}</ref> After a negotiation window with HBO expired, ESPN officially announced that it would broadcast two more Top Rank cards in August, including [[Vasyl Lomachenko]] vs. [[Miguel Marriaga]], and [[Terence Crawford]] vs. [[Julius Indongo]].<ref name="espn-toprankaugust">{{cite web|title=Vasyl Lomachenko, Terence Crawford to headline live ESPN cards in August|url=http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/19771115/vasyl-lomachenko-terence-crawford-headline-live-espn-cards-august|website=ESPN.com|date=June 30, 2017 |publisher=ESPN Inc.|access-date=July 1, 2017}}</ref>

On August 26, 2017, ESPN formally announced that it had reached a four-year deal to become the exclusive broadcaster of Top Rank bouts in the United States and Canada. The fights will be distributed through ESPN's television and digital platforms (including Spanish-language [[ESPN Deportes]], replacing Top Rank's program for [[UniMás]], and Canadian rights for ESPN's local partner [[The Sports Network|TSN]]), the [[ESPN+]] subscription streaming service, and pay-per-view. ESPN broadcast 18 cards in the first year of the deal.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/20465923/top-rank-espn-hammer-complicated-deal-bring-top-rank-fights-exclusively-espn-platforms-years-come|title=Top Rank signs exclusive 4-year deal with ESPN|publisher=ESPN|access-date=2017-08-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2017/08/espn-top-rank-caa-sports-espn-deportes-burke-magnus-todd-duboef-1202156905/|title=ESPN And Top Rank Announce Multi-Year Agreement For New Fight Series|last=Ramos|first=Dino-Ray|date=August 26, 2017|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|publisher=[[Penske Media Corporation]]|access-date=August 28, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref> On August 2, 2018, ESPN announced an extension of the agreement through 2025.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2018/08/espn-sets-landmark-boxing-deal-with-top-rank-through-2025-1202438747/|title=ESPN Sets Landmark Boxing Deal With Top Rank Through 2025|last=Hayes|first=Dade|date=2018-08-02|work=Deadline|access-date=2018-08-02|language=en-US}}</ref>

The deal would also call for Top Rank to acquire U.S. rights to 24 international cards per-year for broadcast on ESPN+; in September 2018, ESPN and Top Rank acquired rights to cards in the United Kingdom from British promoter [[Frank Warren (promoter)|Frank Warren]]—a friend of Arum.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/24641873/espn+-exclusively-broadcast-frank-warren-cards-originating-united-kingdom|title=ESPN+ to broadcast all of Warren's UK cards|date=2018-09-11|website=ESPN.com|language=en|access-date=2020-01-14}}</ref> In February 2019, Top Rank entered into a co-promotion agreement with Warren's Queensberry Promotions centered upon [[Tyson Fury]], under which ESPN would hold the U.S. media rights to his bouts, and at least two per-year would occur in the United States. The deal was stated to have potential complications on prospects for a rematch against [[Deontay Wilder]] (whose [[Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury|last fight]] ended in a split draw), as Wilder is associated with [[Premier Boxing Champions]] (whose rightsholders include [[Fox Sports (United States)|Fox Sports]], and [[Showtime Championship Boxing|Showtime]]—who produced the PPV for Wilder and Fury's initial fight).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/tyson-fury-fight-rights-espn-top-rank|title=Tyson Fury lands UK£80m ESPN TV deal|website=SportsPro Media|date=February 18, 2019 |access-date=2020-01-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/26029924/what-fury-deal-top-rank-espn-means-heavyweight-division|title=What Fury's deal with Top Rank, ESPN means for the heavyweight division|date=2019-02-19|website=ESPN.com|language=en|access-date=2020-01-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/26023642/lineal-heavyweight-champion-tyson-fury-co-promoted-top-rank|title=Fury signs deal to be co-promoted by Top Rank|date=2019-02-18|website=ESPN.com|language=en|access-date=2020-01-14}}</ref>

In April 2019, ESPN broadcast its first Top Rank PPV, featuring [[Terence Crawford]] against [[Amir Khan (boxer)|Amir Khan]] for the [[WBO]] Welterweight title.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.multichannel.com/news/espn-top-rank-set-april-terence-crawford-pay-per-view-boxing-event|title=ESPN, Top Rank Set April Terence Crawford Pay-Per-View Boxing Event|last=Umstead|first=R. Thomas|website=Multichannel|date=January 15, 2019 |language=en-us|access-date=2019-12-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.boxingscene.com/bob-arum-crawford-khan-splendid-pay-per-view-event--137463|title=Bob Arum: Crawford-Khan Is A Splendid Pay-Per-View Event|website=BoxingScene.com|date=March 28, 2019 |language=en-us|access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref>

In December 2019, it was announced that a [[Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury II|Wilder/Fury re-match]] had been scheduled for February 2020, and that the PPV would be a joint presentation of ESPN and [[Fox Sports (United States)|Fox Sports]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/28377688/deontay-wilder-tyson-fury-rematch-set-mgm-grand-las-vegas|title=Wilder-Fury rematch set for MGM Grand in Vegas|date=2019-12-27|website=ESPN.com|language=en|access-date=2019-12-30}}</ref> The broadcast was largely produced by ESPN staff, with Fox Sports personalities joining those of ESPN.<ref name="svg-wfii">{{Cite web|last=Dachman|first=Jason|title=Wilder vs. Fury II: ESPN, Fox Sports Team Up on Outsize Boxing Production in Vegas|url=https://www.sportsvideo.org/2020/02/21/wilder-vs-fury-2-espn-fox-sports-team-up-on-outsize-boxing-production-in-vegas/|access-date=2020-02-23|website=Sports Video Group|date=February 21, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

== ''Friday Night Fights'' ==
{{Infobox television
| alt_name             = ''ESPN Friday Night Fights''<br/>''ESPN Championship Boxing'' (1996–1998)
| image                =
| caption              = 
| camera               = [[Multicamera setup|Multi-camera]]
| runtime              = Various
| creator              = 
| developer            = 
| producer             = 
| executive_producer   = 
| presenter            = [[Bernard Hopkins]]
| starring             = Various personalities
| voices               = 
| narrated             = [[Joe Tessitore]], [[Teddy Atlas]]
| theme_music_composer = 
| opentheme            = 
| endtheme             = 
| country              = United States
| location             = 
| language             = English (occasional interpreters)
| network              = [[ESPN2]]
| first_aired          = {{start date|1998|10|2}}
| last_aired           = {{end date|2015|5|22}}
| num_seasons          = 
| num_episodes         = 
| list_episodes        = 
| related              =  ''[[Friday Night Lights Out]]'' (Spike) <br> ''[[MetroPCS Friday Night Knockout]]'' (truTV)
}}

In 1998, ESPN premiered '''''Friday Night Fights''''';<ref name=deadline-pbcespn /> the series traditionally featured bouts involving both up-and-coming and seasoned professional boxers, along with studio segments covering headlines and developments across the sport. As implied by its title, the program was primarily broadcast on Friday nights, semi-regularly.<ref name=queensbury-fnfhistory>{{cite web|title=Friday Night's Alright (For Fighting): Goodbye FNF|url=http://bloguin.com/queensberryrules/2015-articles/friday-nights-alright-for-fighting-goodbye-fnf.html|website=The Queensbury Rules|access-date=23 May 2015}}</ref>

Ringside commentary was provided by [[Joe Tessitore]] and [[Teddy Atlas]]; previous seasons featured boxing analyst [[Max Kellerman]] alongside [[Brian Kenny (sportscaster)|Brian Kenny]] and sportscaster [[Bob Papa]] in Tessitore's role ringside with Atlas. The program spawned spinoffs, ''Tuesday Night Fights'' and ''Wednesday Night Fights''. A Spanish-language version, '''''Noche de Combates''''', aired on [[ESPN Deportes]] and [[ESPN Latin America]].

=== Notable appearances ===
*[[Emanuel Augustus]] (July 8, 2005)
*[[Andre Berto]]
*[[Jesse Brinkley]]
*[[O'Neil Bell]]
*[[Cornelius Bundrage|Cornelius ''K9'' Bundrage]]
*[[James Butler (boxer)|James Butler]] (November 23, 2001)
*[[Derek Bryant (boxer)|Derek Bryant]]
*[[Nate Campbell]]
*[[Aaron Davis (boxer)|Aaron Davis]]
*[[Julio Díaz (boxer)|Julio Díaz]]
*[[John Duddy (boxer)|John Duddy]]
*[[Antwun Echols]] (February 29, 2008)
*[[Arturo Gatti]]
*[[Julio César González]]
*[[Yuriorkis Gamboa]]
*[[Allan Green]]
*[[Vivian Harris]]
*[[Yuri Foreman]]
*[[Audley Harrison]]
*[[Stevie Johnston]]
*[[Zab Judah]] (July 9, 1999)
*[[James Kirkland (boxer)|James Kirkland]]
*[[Julian Letterlough]]
*[[Yusaf Mack]] {{small|(2/6/2009 vs. Chris Henry, and May 2, 2010 vs. [[Glen Johnson (boxer)|Glen Johnson]])}}
*[[Antonio Margarito]]
*[[Oleg Maskaev]]
*[[José Luis Castillo]]
*[[Peter Manfredo Jr.]]
*[[Edison Miranda]]
*[[Sergio Mora]]
*[[Kassim Ouma]]
*[[Bobby Pacquiao]]
*[[Samuel Peter|Sam Peter]] (April 28, 2006)
*[[Hasim Rahman]]
*[[Cletus Seldin]] (February 28, 2015)
*[[Omar Sheika]]
*[[Cory Spinks]]
*[[John Thompson (boxer)|John Thompson]], fought on series finale
*[[Arash Usmanee]] (January 4, 2013)
*[[Micky Ward]] (July 16, 1999)
*[[Erislandy Lara]]
*[[Guillermo Rigondeaux]]
*[[Jean Pascal]]
*[[Brian Vera]]
*[[James Smith (boxer)|Bonecrusher Smith]] (2006)

Boxers who have fought on ''Tuesday Night Fights'':
*[[Emanuel Augustus]] (July 6, 2004)
*[[Ian Gardner]] (July 5, 2005)

Boxers who have fought on ''Wednesday Night Fights'':
*[[Allan Green]] (April 26, 2006)
*[[Yusaf Mack]] {{small|(6/4/2008 vs. [[Daniel Judah]])}}
*[[Jameel McCline]] (April 26, 2006)
*[[Sharmba Mitchell]] (May 3, 2006)
*[[Joey Spina]] (May 10, 2006)

== ''Premier Boxing Champions'' ==
On March 19, 2015, ESPN announced that ''Friday Night Fights'' would air for the final time on May 22, 2015, covering the finals of the 2015 Boxcino tournament. The network announced that it had reached a multi-year deal with [[Al Haymon]]'s ''[[Premier Boxing Champions]]'' to broadcast 11 events per-year on the main ESPN network, primarily on Saturday nights, and an afternoon event on [[ESPN on ABC|ABC]]. Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will carry over to serve as hosts. ESPN is one of several major broadcasters that airs fights through the promotion, which also includes [[NBC]], [[CBS]], their respective cable sports networks, as well as [[Spike (TV network)|Spike]].<ref name=deadline-pbcespn>{{cite web|title=ESPN Joins Premier Boxing Champions' Corner, Knocking Out 'Friday Night Fights'|url=https://deadline.com/2015/03/espn-premier-boxing-champions-friday-night-fights-ending-1201394575/|website=[Deadline.com|date=March 18, 2015 |publisher=Penske Media Corporation|access-date=March 19, 2015}}</ref> ESPN aired its last PBC fight in mid 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/dan-rafael/post/_/id/16761/what-has-happened-to-premier-boxing-champions|title=What has happened to Premier Boxing Champions?|date=2016-09-21|website=ESPN.com|language=en|access-date=2019-08-30}}</ref>

== Golden Boy ==
On January 19, 2017, ESPN announced an agreement with [[Golden Boy Promotions]] to broadcast '''''Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN'''''. Under a two-year deal, ESPN and ESPN Deportes broadcast 42 Golden Boy-promoted cards, with 18 airing in 2017 and 24 airing in 2018. The contract included an option for a third year.<ref name="espn-goldenboydeal">{{cite web|title='Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN' begins partnership in March|url=http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/18508305/golden-boy-promotions-espn-enter-partnership-42-fight-cards-next-two-years|website=ESPN.com|date=January 19, 2017 |publisher=ESPN Inc.|access-date=July 1, 2017}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{ESPN original programming}}
{{Boxing on television}}
{{Boxing on ABC}}

[[Category:Boxing television series]]
[[Category:ESPN original programming]]
[[Category:1998 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:2015 American television series endings]]
[[Category:1990s American sports television series]]
[[Category:Boxing on ESPN| ]]
[[Category:Boxing on television|ESPN]]
[[Category:2000s American sports television series]]
[[Category:2010s American sports television series]]