Sky Sports Boxing has been the premier broadcaster of the sport in the United Kingdom for around 30 years now, featuring some of the biggest matchups ever (and Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Logan Paul).
The most recent marquee matchup for Sky Sports was that huge women’s Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall superfight on October 15, 2022. It did great numbers and once again showed the growth of women’s boxing.
Sky has moved swiftly to ensure continued coverage of the sport after its dance partner for around a decade – Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing – signed a five-year global pact with streaming platform DAZN, which will now include the UK.
That was followed in June 2022 by the news that long-time Sky PPV cash cow Anthony Joshua was following Hearn to DAZN after signing a huge deal to end his long-time association with Sky.
Now Britain’s premier sports broadcaster is going in a different direction after swiftly inking four-year deals with Bob Arum and Top Rank and the relatively young UK outfit Boxxer. The deals ensure they have UK shows at times which work for domestic viewers, as well as elite action from the United States.
From Lennox Lewis Lewis vs Evander Holyfield to Ricky Hatton vs Floyd Mayweather Jr to Carl Froch vs George Groves to Joshua vs Andy Ruiz Jr, the network has made itself THE go-to destination for fight fans wanting to see their idols in action.
Sky Sports also screened the controversial rematch between YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul in late 2019.
The network has iconic production values and commentary. The pairing of Ian Darke and Glenn McCrory forming a much-loved pairing which elevated so many fights to epic levels.
As well as showing regular bills as part of its normal subscription package, Sky Sports Boxing also shows some bigger-profile fights on pay-per-view with an extra cost via its Sky Sports Box Office platform.
The last fight on the Box Office platform was the long-awaited domestic showdown between Amir Khan and Kell Brook – they met in February 2022 with Brook stopping Khan inside six rounds.
Sky Sports Box Office
Sky Sports Box Office is the platform used by the network to show its major pay-per-view fights.
Pricing can vary, with the 2019 rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz for the IBF, WBA and WBO world heavyweight titles in a Saudi Arabia netting a domestic-record 1.6million buys at a cost of £24.95 per buy.
The most recent Sky Sports Box Office pay-per-view was Joshua’s loss to Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021 – that retailed for £24.95. The Usyk vs Joshua 2 rematch, which surprisingly landed on Sky too despite AJ’s contract expiring, cost even more at £26.95.
Sky Sports Box Office how to watch and FAQs
- Sky Sports Box Office events can be purchased by anybody over 18 in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
- The platform is of course available via conventional set-top boxes which come with regular Sky Sports subscriptions.
- Sky Sports Box Office can also be purchased and viewed online via live stream or the Sky Sports Box Office app. This is assuming you set up a Sky Sports Box Office account have have a broadband connection.
- There are a range of viewing options for subscribers. You can watch the fights via PC, Mac, Now TV Box, Now TV Smart Stick, iPhone, iPad, Android phone and tablet.
- Payments are accepted via Mastercard and Visa and you will pay for the events in pounds sterling only.
Sky Sports Boxing schedule
That new deal with Top Rank means Sky Sports Boxing immediately has an exciting schedule of fights to look forward to:
Upcoming confirmed fights on Sky Sports are as follows:
- December 17, 2022: Chris Billam-Smith vs Armend Xhoxhaj (Bournemouth)
- January 21, 2023: Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith (Manchester, Sky Box Office)
You can also get boxing picks and predictions for all major upcoming fights
Sky Sports Boxing fighters
The end of the Hearn/Matchroom association, the departure of Joshua and the new deals with Top Rank and Boxxer means a new crop of star fighters hitting the screens of Sky viewers.
Sky now has at its disposal the Top Rank superstars including welterweight king Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford and the aforementioned Stevenson, Lomachenko and Inoue.
Arum’s stacked stable also boasts promising young heavyweights Efe Ajagba and Jared ‘Big Baby’ Anderson and you can expect to see them on Sky at some stage in the future.
In terms of UK fighters, Sky has the likes of Chris Eubank Jr on its roster right now along with female stars Savannah Marshall and Claressa Shields – they are expected to meet in a blockbuster in the summer of 2022, almost certainly in the UK.
it’s important to note that the Sky/Top Rank deal does not include Tyson Fury, although ‘The Gypsy King’ is co-promoted by Top Rank. Fury’s fights in the UK have aired on BT Sport Box Office recently, and the knockout of Dillian Whyte in April 2022 continued that trend.
