It brought world-class fighters like Naoya Inoue , Tyson Fury , and Terence Crawford into millions of homes without a pay-per-view cost.
Some fans found the commentary heavily biased toward Top Rank’s promoted "house" fighters, which occasionally felt like a marketing exercise rather than objective sports coverage. ESPN Top Rank Boxing
For a deeper look into the shift in the boxing broadcast landscape and the conclusion of the Top Rank/ESPN deal, watch this analysis: What Happened to Top Rank? YouTube• Mar 10, 2026 It brought world-class fighters like Naoya Inoue ,
As of April 2026, the era of has largely concluded. After an eight-year partnership that began in 2017, the exclusive deal between Top Rank and ESPN officially expired in July 2025. The Current Landscape (April 2026) YouTube• Mar 10, 2026 As of April 2026,
Long-term viewers often criticized the broadcast for "mid-round" replays and commercials that cut over corner instructions between rounds.
In March 2026, Top Rank finalized a new multi-year broadcast deal with DAZN . This agreement typically includes 8–10 live fight cards per year, effectively ending the consistent "free" linear television presence Top Rank once held on ESPN's main networks.
Reviews of recent Top Rank shows on their new platforms have been mixed. While the promotion continues to develop elite talent like Keyshawn Davis and Xander Zayas , the lack of a major linear TV reach has led some critics to call it a "ghost promotion" compared to its peak. Review of the "ESPN Era" Legacy