Team Sauerland and Matchroom Boxing have agreed an historic TV rights deal to share their big fight nights.
The fantastic deal for fight fans will see 12 World title fights in Germany broadcast live on Sky Sports and on the Matchroom Fight Pass, with their Nordic Fight Night series also shown on the Fight Pass, Matchroom’s 20 shows on Sky Sports can be broadcast by the ProSiebenSat.1 media group in Germany on either SAT.1 television or its online platforms ran.de and maxdome.de, with Juergen Brahmer’s WBA World Light Heavyweight title clash with Robin Krasniqi on March 21 in Rostock the first to be aired. In addition to the deal, Matchroom and Sauerland will also have the opportunity to place their fighters on international cards.
UK fight fans will get up close and personal with the likes of Brahmer, WBO Super Middleweight World champion Arthur Abraham, IBF Cruiserweight king Yoan Pablo Hernandez and rising stars such as Patrick and Micki Nielsen, Vincent Feigenbutz, Erik Skoglund and Jack Culcay. German fight fans will get to see international superstars in action like IBF World Welterweight champion Kell Brook, Super Middleweight World title challenger James DeGale MBE, WBA World champions Scott Quigg and Jamie McDonnell, Tony Bellew, Nathan Cleverly, former two-weight World champion Ricky Burns, WBC Featherweight World title challenger Lee Selby and Olympic Gold medal heroes Anthony Joshua MBE and Luke Campbell MBE.
“I'm delighted to get this done and be working closely with Kalle, Nisse and Team Sauerland,” said Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn.
“We will be able to place quality World Championship boxing on both Sky Sports and the Matchroom Fight Pass platforms giving fight fans to many of the biggest shows across Europe. In addition, we now have the ability to add our talent to these shows and allow our young talent to grow and develop and experience new surroundings. It's a win-win for everybody.”
“This is a historic collaboration, in which there are only winners,” said Kalle Sauerland. "The fans in Germany can now enjoy regular international class fights on SAT.1 and their online platforms. In addition, the deal guarantees our boxers maximum exposure in the UK market. There, superstars are made.”
His brother Nisse Sauerland adds: "We will work closely together to enable our young stars to gain early important international experience. This cooperation is a milestone in the international market.”
Sauerland and Matchroom has long been working closely together. In May 2013, it hosted the mega-battle between Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler in the sold-out O2 Arena in London. Froch and George Groves broke records in their World title rematch in front of over 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, and first Sauerland Event in England in September 2014 was also supported by Matchroom. Saturday night saw another collaboration between the promoters as Paul Smith fell to ‘King’ Arthur Abraham in their World title rematch in Berlin.