Professional boxing has returned to free-to-air TV in the UK, with promotion Boxxer agreeing a broadcast partnership with national public-service broadcaster BBC.
Throughout the partnership, select Boxxer undercard bouts will feature on the broadcaster’s BBC Two or BBC Three linear entertainment channels, as well as the BBC iPlayer OTT service, the BBC Sport digital site, and the BBC Sounds radio app.
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This will be joined by feature programming and behind-the-scenes content surrounding the fights and Boxxer’s roster.
That roster includes talent such as WBC women’s lightweight world champion Caroline Dubois, unified women’s welterweight world champion Lauren Price, IBO light welterweight champion Adam Azim, and popular middleweight contender Chris Eubank Jr., among others.
The 12-month partnership begins immediately, with the first fights to appear on the BBC before the end of 2026.
Speaking on the announcement, BBC Sport director Alex Kay-Jelski commented: “Bringing professional boxing back to primetime BBC television, free-to-air, and to our extensive digital platforms is an exciting moment for us and for boxing fans. Boxing is a sport that we know deeply resonates with younger audiences.”
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By GlobalDataBoxxer cards were previously broadcast in the UK by pay-TV heavyweight Sky Sports, with that deal expiring earlier in 2025.
Despite the growing globalization of boxing, the UK market remains the core focus for Boxxer.
Spearheaded by founder and chief executive Ben Shalom, who in 2018 became the UK’s youngest ever licensed boxing promoter aged just 23, Boxxer has staged events across the UK and Europe in both high-profile arenas and smaller local venues.
In 2024, Shalom spoke to Sportcal (GlobalData Sport) on how the promotion is seeking to leverage the UK market, and discussed the broadcast realities of the sport, saying: “Being able to partner with the right media partners is always key for a promotional business.
“We want boxing to be seen by as many people as possible. But, it's also a sport driven by money, and because of that, a lot of the sport has ended up on pay-TV platforms or subscription platforms.
“We won’t always go with the partners that pay the most because what we're prioritizing is that the sport is seen by as many people as possible.”
The stable Shalom has accrued consists mostly of British fighters plucked from the amateur ranks that now seem fit and ready to break through to the mainstream.
On this, he added: “We're a talent-led business. We started [Boxxer] based on our capabilities and our brand and breaking down barriers, but ultimately, it's about having the best and most sought-after fighters, and that's what we're preparing for with the future [in mind].”
