Todd Duboef Says No Bitterness In ESPN Split, Talks Continued

Todd Duboef made it clear that Top Rank’s split from ESPN was not a fallout, and the relationship between the two sides is still active.

The Top Rank president said there was no hostility as the deal came to an end, stressing that communication never stopped even as the company explored other options.

“There was no bitterness. We were talking to them all the time,” Duboef said to The Ariel Helwani Show. “They’re a wonderful platform.”

Rather than a clean break, Duboef described a situation where ESPN’s direction changed, leading both sides to move apart without closing the door.

He explained that the network no longer needed the same volume of boxing events that Top Rank had been supplying.

“Our needs have changed. We don’t need the size,” Duboef said, describing ESPN’s shift toward fewer, bigger nights.

That adjustment left Top Rank looking for a different structure, which it has now found with DAZN. Even with that, Duboef’s comments suggest ESPN remains part of the wider picture rather than a former partner being left behind.

Talks between the two sides continued throughout the process, and there was no suggestion of a breakdown that forced the separation.

Instead, the split came down to both sides moving in different directions at the same time, with ESPN scaling back its boxing output while Top Rank continued to operate with a broader schedule.

Duboef said the company had options during the process and was able to take its time before finalizing a new deal. He added that maintaining a professional relationship with ESPN was important, given how closely the industry operates and how often interests can overlap again.

His tone pointed to a working relationship that remains intact, even as Top Rank begins its next phase elsewhere.