Top Rank promoter Bob Arum spent some time over the weekend talking to Fight Hub TV about where things stand for his company as they continue to seek a new broadcasting home since their deal with ESPN has recently expired as well as touching on Dana White looking to make changes to the Ali Act. Here’s some quick experts below.
Arum on finding Top Rank a new broadcasting partner
“You see what’s happening with streaming and what’s happening with the networks, so when we make our new deal — and we had a great deal with ESPN and they were great partners
— and when we make our new deal we want it to be with the best possible opportunity for exposure and we’re being very, very cautious of where we’re going to go, who we’re going to go with, and whether it’s going to be streaming or over the air or a combination of both.
“And that’s why I left behind in Las Vegas all of my people who are having meetings as we speak with various companies, because we see that Paramount realized the value of combat sports and they paid this enormous amount of money to UFC and while we don’t expect to get the same kind of money I think it bodes well for us that NBC, Peacock and Starz and other entities that are programming buy all or part of our product.
“In other words it may not be possible for us to make an exclusive deal with one entity but we can make a deal with two or three, put the sausage together and achieve what we’re looking to achieve, which is the greatest exposure for our product.
“…Netflix is always in play because they have so much money. But Netflix, I don’t think, has shown any interest in doing boxing on a regular basis. They would rather spend a lot of money for what they believe to be a blockbuster event and show it that way…Canelo vs Crawford is I think the first real fight they’ve had on Netflix but it’s clearly a big fight and worldwide it’s going to get a huge audience.”
On Dana White wanting to change the Ali Act
“I think that’s exactly what he’s trying to do (undermine the bargaining power of fighters) and the Ali Act has worked very, very well and what it’s done is raise boxing purses to an unprecedented high level…It’s fair. These fighters risk their lives and health every time they step in the ring and they should be compensated and unlike the UFC fighters who fight for pittance, if that happened to boxing it would be a tragedy.”
