LONDON, UK (February 9th, 2024) – BOXXER is delighted to announce a new media rights partnership with StarTimes in Sub-Saharan Africa, allowing fans across the region to watch BOXXER events exclusively on the digital television operator’s platforms.
Headquartered in Beijing, StarTimes has become the fastest-growing and most influential digital TV operator in Africa, boasting subsidiaries in more than 30 African countries and with a reach of 45 million people in the region.
LIVE broadcasts of BOXXER shows to 13 million households in Sub-Saharan Africa will enable BOXXER’s roster of elite fighters to showcase their skills to a region with a flourishing combat sports fanbase. The deal will be accompanied by a range of shoulder programming to elevate StarTimes’ promotion of BOXXER events and familiarise African audiences with BOXXER fighters, many of whom are of African heritage.
BOXXER shows air LIVE and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, after the leading UK sports broadcaster signed a four-year deal with BOXXER in 2021. BOXXER’s international footprint was bolstered significantly on the signing of a long-term and exclusive US broadcast partnership with NBC Sports in October 2023; and the rapidly-growing promotion is home to a world-class stable of fighters including Joshua Buatsi, Richard Riakporhe, Caroline Dubois, Chris Billam-Smith, Martin Bakole, Adam Azim, Ben Whittaker and many more.
Commenting on the new partnership, BOXXER Founder and CEO Ben Shalom said: “Africa is a major growth region and focus for us in the coming months and years. Many of our fighters are of African heritage and feel deep affinity with the region, and we know there is a strong appetite for elite-level combat sports there. We’re delighted to announce this new partnership with StarTimes and open up our events and fighters to millions of viewers across Africa.”
Li Bin, Director of Sports Channels at StarTimes said: “StarTimes always spare no effort to present the best in sports entertainment to our viewers. We are honoured to collaborate with BOXXER, such a professional boxing promoter who share the same target with us, and trust that the joint efforts will bring extraordinary experiences to the fans of combat sports across Africa.”
BOXXER’s most recent event on February 3rd saw Joshua Buatsi and Dan Azeez, the world #1 and #2 ranked light-heavyweights – of Ghanaian and Nigerian heritage respectively – go head-to-head over twelve electric rounds at OVO Arena Wembley in London.
BOXXER’s next show will take place on March 31st at The O2 in London, as undefeated heavyweight rivals Fabio Wardley (17-0) and Frazer Clarke (8-0) clash for the British and Commonwealth Titles, in a highly-anticipated grudge match.
