German sports broadcaster Sport1 has agreed an exclusive three-year rights deal with the Team Sauerland boxing agency.
The partnership includes exclusive platform-neutral media rights to boxing events from 2018 through to 2020 in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Sport1 will show at least 20 boxing events from Sauerland per year on Saturday nights, with extensive pre- and post-fight coverage live on free-to-air television and its digital platforms.
Among them will be at least four “top-drawer” events per year, with either a world championship bout from one of the major international boxing organisations like the IBF, IBO, WBO, WBA or WBC, or a fight featuring top German stars such as Arthur Abraham (left of picture), Vincent Feigenbutz and Tyron Zeuge.
Added to this will be world championship qualifying bouts, European title fights, and national, international, or intercontinental championships featuring German contenders, plus numerous international events including rising German talent.
Sport1 has also gained access to Team Sauerland’s archive, which includes some 600 boxing events from 1988 through to the present day featuring 1,400 fights.
Online and mobile boxing coverage on Sport1.de, the Sport1 apps, and the social media channels of Sport1 will also be expanded.
Promoter Kalle Sauerland said: “We are delighted to bring boxing back to free-TV and provide the sport with a huge TV presence in the next three years. German boxing has lost many big names in recent times. But with a total of at least 60 free-to-air events in the next three years, Sport1 and Team Sauerland have set the stage for the next generation of heroes.”