Zuffa Boxing, the nascent promotion owned by combat sports giant TKO Group, has increased its international visibility after securing a rights agreement with Begin, the United Arab Emirates-based over-the-top streaming platform, covering Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Under the two-year agreement, Begin will hold exclusive rights in Pakistan and non-exclusive rights in Bangladesh to show Zuffa Boxing events in 2026 and 2027, starting with the league’s first event of 2026 this Friday (January 23) – an eight-bout lineup featuring 16 boxers.
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Zuffa will run 12 boxing cards across 2026 and has said it plans to increase that number in the coming years.
Begin’s co-founding chief executive, Jonathan Mark, said: “Zuffa Boxing represents the kind of disciplined, market-defining opportunity we look for.
“Its centralized operating model and institutional backing align with how we build premium sports offerings, and securing market rights allows us to introduce a new combat sports property to audiences in Pakistan from day one.”
Zuffa boxing was launched by TKO in collaboration with Saudi Arabian events company Sela, and the country’s General Entertainment Authority, which is chaired by prominent boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh.
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By GlobalDataThe promotion is spearheaded by Dana White, the chair of TKO-owned mixed-martial arts promotion UFC, which partnered with Paramount on a bumper $7.7 billion rights deal.
It debuted on September 13, 2025, with its first major card, centered on the boxing superfight between Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
That fight drew 41 million global viewers on streaming service Netflix, which lauded the event as the “most-viewed men’s championship boxing match” of the 21st century, adding that.
Its live coverage drew an average minute audience (AMA) of 36.6 million, with additional viewership across the weekend contributing to the 41 million figure. In the US alone, the AMA sat at 20.3 million, putting it on a par with the recent season-opening NFL games, and peaking at 24 million concurrent livestreams.
This figure is further bolstered by the estimated 500,000 viewers in commercial establishments suggested by Joe Hand Promotions, the business that managed the fight’s commercial establishment rights distribution.
After the fight card’s success, US media giant Paramount secured an exclusive multi-year rights deal to show Zuffa Boxing events from 2026 onwards across the US, Canada, and Latin America.
The media giant will show fight cards on its Paramount+ OTT streaming service, with select fights and events potentially simulcast on linear TV via CBS.
Begin, meanwhile, launched in June 2024, initially securing licensing rights for non-sports entertainment content from the NBCUniversal and Sony Pictures Entertainment media giants.
However, since then, it has secured coverage rights to soccer's Saudi Pro League through the 2027-28 campaign and, more recently, the next three editions of Spanish men’s soccer’s Supercopa.
