Eddie Hearn open for business with Top Rank, Golden Boy on DAZN

Eddie Hearn has welcomed the potential arrival of Top Rank to DAZN.

Suggestions persist that the influential broadcaster ESPN will not renew its contract with Top Rank, and that Top Rank could therefore reach an agreement with DAZN to join there with, among others, Hearn’s Matchroom, Queensberry Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions.

It may be tempting to interpret the arrival of Queensberry’s Frank Warren and Golden Boy’s Oscar De La Hoya – rivals with whom Hearn has long had a tense relationship – as capable of undermining Hearn’s influence with DAZN (where he has been the streamer’s highest-profile promoter since leaving Sky Sports). But Hearn instead insists that their sharing a broadcaster makes his job easier.

Top Rank’s Bob Arum and Hearn have, similarly, been critical of each other in the past, but when asked about the possibility of them becoming allies, Hearn told BoxingScene: “I’m sure they’re going to talk. They need to find a broadcaster – if the rumors are true about ESPN not renewing.

“I’d love them to come to DAZN. People always say, like when Frank [Warren] went there, ‘Are you alright with that?’ I said, ‘Of course.’ We want more subscribers. The more subscribers on DAZN, the better for us, the better for our fighters, the better for our sport, the better for the platform. If Top Rank were to come on board, you’re going to drive more subscribers, so I’m all for it.

“The more promotional companies, the better on the platform, as far as I’m concerned.”

Warren’s Queensberry agreeing to terms to join DAZN at the conclusion of its agreement with TNT Sports was preceded by Warren and Hearn starting to work together after the modern era’s longest-term cold war.

Their apparent relative ease in each other’s company is regardless not yet shared by De La Hoya and Hearn, who said: “I sat down with Oscar in Riyadh and I spoke to Eric Gomez [also of Golden Boy, recently]. What Turki [Alalshikh] does really well is, he’s got no interest in that stuff. He thinks it’s quite tedious. He’s sort of said it to a few of us a few times, ‘Stop that – just, come on,’ and then you start spending time around people.

“The problem with it is the industry – no one really knows each other. They’ve just seen an interview; heard something about someone. Then you spend a bit of time with people socially, and you’re like, ‘Actually, we could make money together – we could actually do good business together.’ It’s very early stages with Oscar, but that’s the potential that’s there. Frank’s the other level, where now we’re planning all kinds of stuff together, and now we’re on the same platform.

“I’ve always been one that just gets on with it. I don’t hold grudges. Especially now, with so many people [involved] – not just Riyadh Season, but DAZN – I’ve always felt that we should be doing a lot more business with Golden Boy, and hopefully now that looks like it’s going to be the case.”