ESPN on Monday formally unveiled a slew of boxing programming initiatives for the forthcoming ESPN+ subscription streaming service, including the Jeff Horn-Terence Crawford welterweight world title fight that will be exclusive to the service.
Horn (18-0-1, 12 KOs), of Australia, is due to make his second title defense against former undisputed junior welterweight world champion Terence Crawford (32-0, 23 KOs), of Omaha, Nebraska, on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The card will be one of 18 live boxing events over the next year that will be exclusive to the ESPN+ app, including 12 Top Rank-promoted events and six more international cards that Top Rank, which began a long-term deal with ESPN last summer to provide boxing content, will acquire United States rights to.
The first of the international cards will be headlined by the welterweight fight between England's Amir Khan (31-4, 19 KOs), the former unified junior welterweight world titleholder, who is coming off a two-year layoff, and Canadian Phil Lo Greco (28-3, 15 KOs) on April 21 at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England.
The $4.99 per month ESPN+ streaming service launches on Thursday.
ESPN also said that ESPN+ subscribers will have access to a "consistent studio show covering all the latest news, results and storylines" in boxing as well as "the unmatched, on-demand treasure chest of the greatest fights of all time, including hundreds of fights from the ESPN Big Fights Library and the Top Rank archive."
The Top Rank library includes all three Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fights, Ali-George Foreman, both Sugar Ray Leonard-Roberto Duran fights, Marvin Hagler-Thomas Hearns and thousands of more fights.
ESPN+ will also be home to all Top Rank on ESPN undercard fights, re-airs of all Top Rank on ESPN and Top Rank on ESPN PPV bouts, weigh-in shows, post-fight interviews and press conference, the network said.
"ESPN is thrilled to take our relationship with Top Rank to a new level via this innovative and exclusive distribution on ESPN+," said Burke Magnus, ESPN's executive vice president of programming and scheduling. "By distributing more Top Rank events and boxing content than ever before, we are showing fans our commitment to boxing through a more personalized and targeted manner."
Top Rank president Todd duBoef said he is happy to ramp up the company's activity.
"Top Rank is thrilled to extend our agreement to include these additional world-class events for ESPN+," duBoef said. "This addition offers a 360 approach to the entire boxing vertical, including live world-class events, unparalleled coverage, as well as access to historical moments in the sport."