BRITISH boxing fans can ditch their late-night coffees and twilight alarm calls once DAZN launches tonight.
The streaming app launch finally kicks off in the UK with Gennady Golovkin vs Kamil Szeremeta live from Florida, on at a manageable 1am UK time.
Gennady Golovkin’s clash with Kamil Szeremeta will be live on DAZN in the UK tonightCredit: EPA
Canelo Alvarez against Callum Smith will be on the streaming service tomorrowCredit: Ed Mulholland/matchroom
And that’s followed tomorrow with the brilliant match-up between Mexican pound-for-pound master Canelo and the planet’s finest super-middleweight Callum Smith.
This Texas shootout, for Smith’s Ring and WBA titles and the vacant WBC strap, will be shown in the early hours here as the whole of Mexico and most of America stops when the ginger-assassin fights.
But the January 2 clash between baby face American Ryan Garcia and Hull’s 2012 Olympic hero Luke Campbell is set to be the first of many specially timed to suit audiences on both sides of the pond.
Campbell will have his US mission shown live in the UK at around midnight, which means an approximate 6pm start time in Dallas.
And British DAZN exec Joe Markowski says UK boxing nuts can start looking forward to kinder-timed foreign fights, as his £1.99 a month app looks to smash into the Sky and BT Sport dominated market.
Markowski told SunSport: “We want to engage British sports fans because, although we are launching globally and not just in the UK, the UK happens to be a stand-out market because of the growth and popularity of boxing.
“We will be considering a number of strategies, the obvious one being timing of fights.
“In 2021, where you see a British fighter high up the card or the main event, you will see us broadcast in the American afternoon so we can maximise the value in both countries.
“I grew up having to stay awake really late to watch US fights and we will work to improve that for British fans where possible”.
DAZN want earlier fights in the US to help UK fight fans stay awayCredit: Getty
DAZN’s £278m 11-fight deal with Canelo was cancelled in the summer, after the 30-year-old split with his Golden Boy promoters.
But the broadcaster and the brilliant banger have maintained a strong enough relationship to work together again instantly.
And Markowski insists they have not yet given up making the long-awaited Golovkin trilogy fight.
“We have a fantastic relationship with Canelo and with Golden Boy,” he said “The two are now independent and Canelo has a view on how he wants his career to be managed.
“We have signed a very all-parties-happy deal with Eddie Hearn and Canelo for this fight against Callum Smith.
“This is our fourth fight with Canelo, we are very of that and we hope there are many more in the future.
“We will get into those conversations and we have gone on record as saying that we would have loved to have seen that fight in 2019 or 2020 but various things caused it not to happen, including the pandemic.
“We have a great deal with Canelo for this fight and shortly after this fight, in the new year, we will sit down with Eddie and discuss plans.
“Canelo has flexibility, he is the master of his own destiny, which is how he wants to be and we respect that. We will see what he wants to do next.
“We want to be part of the Canelo and GGG Triple G businesses, they are fighting within 24 hours of each other this weekend.
“We have great working relationships with both of them and, if it makes sense, we will look to it and if it doesn’t make sense then that’s fine by us.”
Gennady Golovkin to make return for record 21st middleweight world title defence against Kamil Szeremeta on December 18
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
