In recent years, boxing has experienced a remarkable resurgence. While several factors have played a role in its revival, much of the credit goes to one man—GEA Chairman Turki Alalshikh. Fueled by Saudi Arabia’s vast resources and his own deep passion for the sport, the architect of Riyadh Season has orchestrated a relentless series of blockbuster events. His efforts have not only reignited global interest in boxing but also delivered the sport’s first undisputed heavyweight and light heavyweight champions since 1999. Now, he’s made yet another game-changing move.

On Wednesday, the head of Riyadh Season made a groundbreaking announcement: pay-per-view is officially over for all Riyadh Season and Ring cards on DAZN. Interestingly, when DAZN first entered the market in 2018, the sports streaming giant promised to eliminate the pay-per-view model altogether. However, by 2022, it reversed course, bringing back PPV and drawing heavy criticism from fans. Now, it seems Turki Alalshikh has accomplished what DAZN once promised but failed to deliver.

Alalshikh hopped on X to reveal that he had met DAZN CEO Shay Segev and came to an agreement about pay-per-view for the Riyadh Season and Ring cards on the sports streaming platform. “Great meeting with my brother Shay, CEO of DAZN,” he wrote on X. “We have big vision to grow boxing and decide: No More Pay-Per-View. Starting with our @ringmagazine show in November, all Riyadh Season & The Ring events will be free to DAZN subscribers. The PPV model has damaged boxing, and we will no longer support it. We are with the fight fans.”

This means DAZN subscribers will no longer face any additional charges, starting with ‘The Ring IV’ on November 22 at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. However, there seem to be two more DAZN pay-per-view events lined up, for which fans will have to shell out those annoying ‘additional fees’ before Alalshikh’s plan comes into effect. The first one is the undisputed clash between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in London. Interestingly, this isn’t a Riyadh Season or Ring event—it’s solely organized by Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, which will cost $59.99 in the US and £24.99 in the UK.

Meanwhile, the second one is an all-British heavyweight clash between prospect Moses Itauma and veteran Dillian Whyte in Riyadh, which will cost $39.99 in the US and £15.99 in the UK. Regardless, separating from the pay-per-view model should help DAZN gain more subscribers and might also help reduce the number of illegal streams across both countries. So, as the new non-pay-per-view model kicks in in November, what’s the first event fans can look forward to?

Turki Alalshikh will kick off a new era of boxing with David Benavidez vs. Anthony Yarde

‘The Ring IV’ card is set for November 22 at Riyadh’s ANB Arena, promising one of 2025’s greatest nights of boxing. Newly crowned WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez will defend his title against British powerhouse Anthony Yarde, who is after his first world title win. The co-main event will feature undefeated WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. defending his title against two-weight champion Devin Haney, who will make his debut in the weight class. 

Meanwhile, lightweight star Abdullah Mason and Sam Noakes will compete for the WBO lightweight title, which became vacant after Keyshawn Davis fumbled his weight during his canceled fight against Edwin De Los Santos. Also, the card could have a fight between Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez and Fernando Martinez, if Rodriguez can win his July 19 fight against Phumelela Cafu.  

It’s safe to say brighter days lie ahead for the boxing world, thanks to Turki Alalshikh’s groundbreaking agreement with DAZN, helping fans save big while driving up global viewership. What do you make of this bold move?