Top Rank and ESPN are reportedly back in talks over a new broadcast deal.
Since the final Top Rank broadcast on ESPN aired in July 2025, which brought to an end a relationship that started in 2017, the promotion has been looking for a new broadcaster. Despite exploring deals with Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery, Top Rank has failed to find a broadcaster.
ESPN is now actively pursuing a new deal with Bob Arum’s promotional company. The talks, first reported by Brunch Boxing on February 23, 2026, suggest that while no contract is finalized, both sides are serious about a deal.
The driving force behind ESPN’s sudden interest is the recent departure of the UFC. The UFC signed a $7.7 billion, seven-year deal with Paramount+, which went into effect on January 1, 2026. Additionally, the departure of key executives—including Matt Kenny and Glenn Jacobs, who left ESPN to join Paramount—is seen by many as a driver. Hall of Fame broadcaster Al Bernstein, who spent 24 years at ESPN, had this to say over the current reports.
I worked at @espn for 24 years. Their relation ship with the sport of boxing has always been schizophrenic. They get enamored for a while, then not so much, then a little interested, then indifferent sometimes even condescending & dismissive. This process will never change. So,… https://t.co/nQckdaD7SG
— Al Bernstein (@AlBernstein) February 23, 2026