After 52 years of history, making some of the biggest boxing fights in the sport, Top Rank, led by Bob Arum, finds itself in shambles. The promotion inked a deal with ESPN back in 2017, and the following year agreed to a seven-year contract. It included 54 events annually across ESPN and ESPN+. However, their partnership came to a screeching halt in August 2025, with no extension in their contract amid declining viewership, marking their first crisis. 

Their final event, which aired on July 26, 2025, featured a main event between Xander Zayas and Jorge Garcia. Boxing insider Rick Glasser previously reported, “Top Rank has landed a deal with premium cable channel Starz.” He added that the agreement will see Starz broadcast 11 fights per year, with $1 million paid per event. While this seemed like the saving grace for Top Rank, which had failed to sign with other broadcasters, Glasser is now hinting at total doom. 

Top Rank, which conducted the iconic boxing events, will have to let some fighters go

The promotion, spearheaded by Bob Arum, has been behind some of the most iconic boxing events in history. Over the years, legends like Floyd Mayweather, Muhammad Ali, and Terence Crawford have all fought under its banner. However, with its partnership with ESPN coming to an end, boxing insider Rick Glasser claimed on X, “Top Rank is starting to release fighters & employees. It’s just the start of what’s to come.”

At present, Top Rank still boasts a roster featuring Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue, Emanuel Navarrete, Brian Norman Jr., Xander Zayas, and a handful of others. Even so, Glasser noted, “TR probably won’t be celebrating their 60-year anniversary in March; it’ll be more of an observance of the 60 years. Not exactly a shining future for the once almighty Top Rank.” When pressed about the company’s rumored deal with Starz, he dismissed it. 

Glasser wrote, “Even if [the Starz deal] happens, it’s peanuts compared to what TR had with ESPN.” Asked why Top Rank hasn’t struck a deal with DAZN, like other major promotions, Glasser revealed DAZN wasn’t interested. As for which fighters were released, he clarified, “Don’t know, just know some were released.” Regardless, Top Rank isn’t the only one that will see its agreement with ESPN expire in 2025. 

ESPN won’t renew its U.S. TV deal with Formula One

According to a February 2025 report from Puck News, Formula One’s broadcast home will change after the 2025 season. ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro has informed F1 officials that the network will not renew its current rights agreement, which pays roughly $90 million per year. The three-year deal, set to expire at the end of 2025, has allowed ESPN to air Sky Sports’ British coverage while occasionally sending its own staff to races on American soil. 

Potential new suitors for Formula One’s new broadcast home include streaming giant Netflix and NBC. The latter previously held the rights before ESPN’s takeover in 2018. Since ESPN started broadcasting F1 in 2018, U.S. viewership has more than doubled. The 2024 season averaged 1.1 million viewers per race, with the Miami Grand Prix peaking at over 3.1 million. Meanwhile, Netflix has played a pivotal role in F1’s popularity boom in the United States thanks to its hit docuseries Drive to Survive. 

That being said, it appears Top Rank has been left to disintegrate if the report from Rick Glasser is true. However, Top Rank is an established name—they might be struggling now, but they are not dead yet. What do you think the future holds for Top Rank? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.