What does Warren’s DAZN deal mean for British Boxing?

Frank Warren joins the likes of Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom, Conor Mcgregor’s BKFC, and other combat sports on the streaming platform.

Promoter Frank Warren during the Joe Joyce v Derek Chisora Final Press Conference in London O2 on July 25, 2024. Warren has joined DAZN. / Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images.

In a social media post on Sunday, Hall of Fame Boxing Promoter Frank Warren, 72, announced from 1st July 2025 his firm Queensbury Promotions will be leaving TNT to join streaming giant DAZN.

Frank Warren joins the likes of Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom, Conor Mcgregor’s BKFC, and other combat sports on the streaming platform.

That leaves Ben Shalom’s BOXXER as the only mainstream boxing promoter on terrestrial TV with Sky Sports.

Ben Shalom, 31, was the first UK boxing promoter to successfully break into the industry since the 1980’s when he gained his promoter’s license aged 23. 

Shalom introduced an innovative format with his Ultimate Boxxer tournaments which were broadcast on the likes of Five Spike and BT Sport (now TNT), before landing a long-term exclusive deal with Sky Sports after Eddie Hearn’s departure to DAZN.

In a short period, the promoter has built a stable from scratch which now includes the likes of WBO Interim World Champion Joshua Buatsi, Olympic Gold Medalist and Unified World Champion Lauren Price, multi-weight World Champion Natasha Jonas, Heavyweight phenomenon Martin Bakole, household name Chris Eubank Jr and future superstars including Adam Azim, Caroline Dubois, Ben Whittaker, Viddal Riley, and Callum Simpson. 

In the past twelve months, Shalom has disrupted the industry further building a strong relationship with Turki Al alshikh’s Riyadh Season - much to the displeasure of his rivals Warren and Hearn. Last month, BOXXER and Riyadh Season announced a long-term partnership.

His rival promoters have given a hostile welcome to Shalom’s presence, with Hearn reportedly threatening to ‘knock him out’ and Warren being filmed pushing the young promoter on stage.

Saudi Arabia has built a reputation for demanding the best fighters fight the best fighters, which has naturally seen Shalom’s stable enter the fold in a meaningful way. 

Heavyweight contender Martin Bakole was the first BOXXER fighter to feature with two statement stoppage victories over Carlos Takam and Riyadh Season ambassador Jarred Anderson.

On the Riyadh Season Wembley Edition undercard, Joshua Buatsi secured his position as interim World Champion, whilst Tyler Denny stepped up unsuccessfully in a huge test against Hamzah Sheeraz.

Shalom then provided the majority of the undercard for the Undisputed clash between Artur Beterbiev and Dimitry Bivol with Chris Eubank Jr gaining the IBO World Title for the third time, Ben Whittaker scoring a bizarre draw against previously exiled Liam Cameron, Frazer Clarke being stopped in the first round in his highly anticipated rematch with Fabio Wardley, and Jack Massey challenging Jai Opetaia for the Cruiserweight World Title.

Next week, Shalom’s BOXXER will return to Riyadh in partnership with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy for Latino Night as ‘The Gentleman’ Chris Billam-Smith vies to become Britain’s first Unified Cruiserweight World Champion since David Haye against Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez.

The shift of Queensbury Promotions to DAZN is expected to further solidify BOXXER and Sky Sport’s position as the premier broadcaster for boxing in the UK. It is expected that the duo will announce a long-term extension to their partnership as they continue to build a dominant stable of Olympians and World Champions.