American Boxing Promoters Are Running Out of Television

American boxing promoters are facing a problem that once seemed impossible. They are running out of places to show their fights in the United States.

This is already happening.

HBO is gone. Showtime is gone. ESPN exited the sport last summer. The three networks that carried American boxing for decades have all stepped away, leaving promoters dependent on streaming partners that either take no financial risk or show limited interest in regular scheduling.

That shift has exposed how dependent the modern American boxing business became on television backing.

Top Rank, Premier Boxing Champions, and Golden Boy Promotions each built their recent operations around network money. That support has disappeared. None of the three currently has a full-time U.S. broadcast partner underwriting a steady run of cards.

Top Rank still controls a deep roster of champions and prospects, but it no longer has a consistent home for them. Months have passed without a network-backed Top Rank show. Upcoming events have been announced without confirmed broadcasters, which places even a strong promotional stable in an unstable position.

Premier Boxing Champions faces a sharper version of the same issue. Its long partnership with Showtime ended in 2023. The replacement deal with Amazon Prime has produced limited output, with most events placed on pay-per-view. A subscription platform that delivers boxing sporadically does not replace a premium network that aired fights throughout the year.

Golden Boy’s position is also unsettled. Its DAZN contract expired at the end of 2025, leaving the company negotiating while several of its top fighters pursue outside options. Without a distribution partner, a promoter’s leverage weakens quickly, regardless of brand history.

At the same time, new power centers are advancing. Saudi-backed Riyadh Season has altered fighter expectations through aggressive spending. Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing has entered the market with a Paramount+ deal already in place and room to expand if elite fighters follow.

The timing is significant. As American promoters lose television access and financial leverage, fighters will look elsewhere for stability and exposure. History suggests promoters rarely recover once that shift begins.

This is not about nostalgia for cable television. It is about control. Boxing in the United States was built on reliable broadcast exposure. When that foundation cracked, the structure above it began to slide.

The change has been quiet. The effects are already visible.