Matchroom Sport have announced they have signed a two-year agreement to be Sky Sports' principal boxing promoter.
Matchroom Sport sign two-year deal with Sky Sports
Matchroom Sport have announced they have signed a two-year agreement to be Sky Sports' principal boxing promoter.
Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn will put together 20 shows in both the next two seasons, starting with 'London Calling' at Alexandra Palace on September 8 featuring Tony Bellew vs Edison Miranda.
On the same night Sky will be showing live coverage of the WBC and WBA super-middleweight champion Andre Ward as he takes on Chad Dawson.
Five stellar shows have already been lined-up for the remainder of 2012, with Commonwealth and IBF inter-continental super-bantamweight champion Carl Frampton fighting former world champion Steve Molitor on September 22.
Prizefighter returns in October followed by Kell Brook's final eliminator for the IBF welterweight title against Hector Saldivia in Sheffield.
Carl Froch then makes the first defence of his IBF strap on November 17 against American Yusuf Mack as he continues to build his legacy as one of Britain's finest champions.
Delighted
"I am delighted that Matchroom has reached this ground-breaking agreement with Sky Sports," said Hearn. "The future of boxing for fight fans and TV viewers is deeper bills with more title fights and more competitive fights in packed out arenas.
"We have a great stable of talent at Matchroom Sport and they will benefit from regular boxing at high-profile, atmospheric events in huge title fights in the coming seasons.
"Sky Sports and Matchroom Sport want to deliver across the board for fight fans and broadcast quality shows using Ringside, Sky Sports News and skysports.com to build our boxers and help create heroes.
"We are looking to develop close relationships with fighters, promoters and international broadcasters to ensure an exciting future for the sport of boxing on Sky Sports."
Exciting
Sky's boxing chief Adam Smith said: "We are happy to support what we hope will be an exciting new era for boxing.
"At its best boxing is one of the sports that truly appeals and excites, not just to the loyal trade audience but to the casual fan too.
"I believe this sport is a sleeping giant and I think over the next year or two we will see it rise again.
"Times have been tough but we know that by sticking to quality and providing deep, thick and atmospheric shows with highly competitive fights, at a variety of different levels, should be the perfect blend.
"Over two decades at Sky we have supported boxing, we haven't dipped in or out, we've been there 100 percent. The biggest UK boxing stars, but not only those, we've provided the best internationally as well.
"So we at Sky do our very best to continue bringing you the best, so with Sky Sports News, Sky Sports News Radio and the fantastic website team that we have that are so passionate about boxing and work so hard behind the scenes, we want to bring you the length and breadth - and that's what we'll be doing week in, week out."
