Step one was to reunite with Dana White, Nick Khan and the new TKO boxing promotion.
That has put the imperative second step in progress, which is to bring the massive Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford undisputed super middleweight battle of four-division champions September 13 to the masses by placing it on Netflix.
With two industry officials telling BoxingScene that a deal is imminent, another says “the only way” to effectively maximize interest in the mega-fight is to bring the bout to the streaming platform that offers more than 300 million subscribers.
Netflix basked in a tsunami of streaming activity thanks to Mike Tyson’s November fight against Jake Paul, which lured a global audience of more than 108 million live viewers.
While Alvarez-Crawford isn’t expected to fare as well, it will generate a widened audience for a sport that has been beset by diminishing returns in the pay-per-view business due to piracy and a lack of high-profile super-fights.
Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh hinted on social media Sunday that his reunion with UFC CEO White as the bout’s promoter would lead to further announcements, perhaps as soon as Monday.
The bout was previously pegged for the Las Vegas Raiders’ home, Allegiant Stadium, and if an arrangement can be made to shift a UNLV football game out of the stadium on September 13, then Alvarez-Crawford will go there, two industry officials told BoxingScene.
The officials are unauthorized to speak publicly on the matter because of the sensitivity of ongoing negotiations.
By realigning with White and WWE President Khan, Alalshikh leans into Khan’s existing WWE relationship with Netflix.
Three industry officials confirmed White’s re-involvement immediately triggered the Netflix option after both were deemed in play as the bout first became finalized.
Alalshikh later changed his tune, suggesting the Saudi Arabia company Sela would promote the fight, but that company is not licensed to promote fights in the U.S., and Alvarez made it clear after a disappointing, lightly attended May 3 bout in Saudi Arabia that he wants to fight Crawford in Las Vegas.
Scorched by criticism over taking Alvarez to Saudi Arabia on Cinco de Mayo and squeezing a May 2 card that included Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez onto a chain-link-fenced section of Times Square that accommodated only 300 fans, Alalshikh now can respond forcefully by bringing this showdown to an NFL stadium and easily accessible on the wildly popular streaming platform.
“You’ve got Canelo, Terence, Dana, Nick Khan and Turki,” said an industry expert. “To do this fight right, it must be on Netflix.”