Bob Arum says the UK fans will be able to watch the Terence Crawford vs. Kell Brook fight live on November 14th, possibly on FITE TV at less than half-price of what they would normally pay for pay-per-view.
Arum is still trying to work a deal with BT Sport and Sky to have one of those two networks to show the Crawford-Brook fight.
But if neither of them chooses to show the fight in the UK, then Arum is convinced FITE TV will show it. They’re the company that showed last Saturday’s fight between Teofimo Lopez and Vasily Lomachenko to UK boxing fans.
Brook will give Crawford a tough fight
“It’s a good fight. Kell Brook is an elite fighter, and he’s shown that. He’s beaten Shawn Porter,” said Arum to IFL TV on Terence Crawford’s next fight. “
He’s going to give Terence a run for his money. I think it’s a really good fight. I’ve been talking to Kell Brook’s people for months now, and they believe they can win the title.
“Talking to ESPN, it’s going to get the same treatment in the United States as the Loma-Lopez fight just got. So we think it’s going to be a huge fight of millions of sports fan watching the [Crawford vs. Brook] fight on November 14th,” Arum said.
Brook (39-2, 27 KOs) is sparring with the capable Conor Benn in preparing for the fight with the unbeaten WBO welterweight champion Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs). Benn should give the 34-year-old Brook some good work to him get ready for Crawford.
Arum is not surprised Sky hasn’t picked up Crawford-Brook
“I believe Brook is scheduled to come over here at the end of this week. No, because it’s a monopoly,” Arum said when asked if he’s surprised that Sky Sports aren’t showing the Crawford vs. Brook fight in the UK.
“Eddie [Hearn] has a budget, and he’s not going to use his budget on his non-fights. Sky is in it not to support boxing, but to see what money it can grab out of boxing out of pay-per-view. They’re not looking to invest in the sport the way ESPN is.
“If that’s where we have to go with the Brook fight, then that’s what we’ll do,” said Arum about Top Rank potentially showing Crawford vs. Brook on FITE TV in the UK.
“You will see it [in the UK] because if we can’t make a deal with BT or Sky, then we’re happy to do it with FITE TV, and it’s at half price at what they usually pay for pay-per-view.
It’s less than half prize,” said Arum on the Crawford-Brook fight being shown in the UK.
As you can tell, Arum doesn’t sound too pleased with Sky Sports. But hopefully, the Crawford vs. Brook fight will be shown in the UK by one of these platforms on November 14.