In 2009, ESPN and Top Rank began discussing a renewed deal; co-founder Bob Arum expressed dissatisfaction at the promotion's previous package for Versus, which featured a large number of low-quality bouts.
[2][3] 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.
[4] 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.
[8] 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.
[9][10][11] In April 2019, ESPN broadcast its first Top Rank PPV, featuring Terence Crawford against Amir Khan for the WBO Welterweight title.
[15] In 1998, ESPN premiered Friday Night Fights;[16] 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.
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.