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- Multi-year partnership begins with fight night on 5th April
- Sky to also show selected MVPW US events
- Broadcaster signed deal with Zuffa Boxing last month
Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) has struck a multi-year rights deal with Sky Sports, making the pay-TV broadcaster the UK and Ireland home of the company’s new MVPW women’s boxing platform.
The partnership will see Sky exclusively broadcast two all-female MVPW fight nights in the UK each year, starting with this Sunday’s event at London’s Olympia, which includes the world lightweight clash between Caroline Dubois and Terri Harper.
Sky Sports will also show selected MVPW US fight nights, beginning with a card on 17th April from the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden, headlined by Alycia Baumgardner defending her titles against Bo Mi Re Shin.
“This agreement with MVP underlines Sky Sports’ ambition to showcase the very best in women’s boxing to sports fans and new audiences,” said Jonathan Licht, Sky Sports’ chief officer UK & Ireland.
“As the UK and Ireland’s biggest investor in and broadcaster of women’s sport, we are proud to be part of the momentum women’s boxing is enjoying and adding the sport to our unrivalled line-up. 2026 is set to be a huge year yet again for women’s sport with the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup on home soil as well as the Solheim Cup, WSL and more, all live on Sky Sports.”
Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions, added: “This partnership with Sky Sports marks a major milestone for MVPW and women’s boxing globally. Through MVPW, we are committed to delivering meaningful opportunities for fighters while producing premium events that expand the global reach and commercial potential of women’s boxing.
“Bringing two premium all-female MVPW events to the UK and Ireland each year, starting with the historic MVPW-01 on Sunday, April 5th at London’s Olympia, is exactly what we envisioned when we launched this platform. We have the best female British boxers in the world and Sky Sports is the perfect home to showcase the elite talent and championship-level action that defines MVPW.
“Together, we’re committed to continuing to elevate women’s boxing to the main stage it deserves, delivering unforgettable nights for fans across the UK and beyond.”
Prior to MVPW, Sky Sports’ notable women’s boxing coverage has included broadcasting the undisputed world middleweight championship fight between Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall in 2022, which headlined what was billed as the first televised all-women’s professional boxing card in Britain.
Sky Sports also exclusively broadcast the second all-female card in the UK last year, headlined by Natasha Jonas versus Lauren Price from London’s Royal Albert Hall.
SportsPro says…
Sky Sports’ deal with MVP reflects the evolving landscape of boxing.
While Sky has been a committed broadcaster of the sport since the 1990s, its agreements have historically been with established promoters, including the highly successful exclusive partnership with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing.
After Matchroom signed with DAZN in 2021, Sky sought to fill the void by partnering with US-based Top Rank and the emerging Boxxer. Both deals were not extended.
Today, major promoters such as Matchroom, Top Rank, Queensberry and Golden Boy all have deals with DAZN, leaving Sky with limited options to stay involved in the sport. In response, the UK’s largest pay-TV network has turned to disruptive promotional companies.
The MVP deal follows Sky’s recent agreement with Zuffa Boxing, the new venture being spearheaded by Dana White and Turki Alalshikh, which aims to poach elite fighters from established promoters and operates independently of traditional sanctioning bodies. Meanwhile, MVP is fronted by Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer, who some fans accuse of degrading the sport with his antics inside and outside the ring.
There may be an element of necessity in Sky’s agreements with MVP and Zuffa, given so many other promoters are tied to DAZN. However, if these new ventures can deliver on their bold promises, they could prove to be savvy moves from Sky, showcasing its ability to remain a major destination for boxing in the UK.
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