Tyson Fury has landed a television deal worth an astonishing £80 million but which casts a doubt over his proposed world heavyweight title mega-fights with Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua.
Frank Warren’s deal with US network ESPN for a string of Fury’s next fights is a huge financial coup but conflicts with the TV contracts to which reigning world champions Joshua and Wilder are already committed.
Warren has done the Fury deal in conjunction with his American partner Top Rank and their legendary promoter Bob Arum.
The announcement at the headquarters of BT Sport, who will retain the rights to broadcast Fury’s fights in Britain on pay-per-view, explains the delay in confirmation of the Gypsy King’s rematch of his epic draw with Wilder in December.
The news of Fury’s deal with ESPN further complicates any deal for him to fight either Wilder or Joshua.
These deals are designed to prevent fighters appearing on rival channels.
A compromise can be reached, though they are rare.
Back in 2015, Floyd Mayweather fought Manny Pacquiao and the mega-fight was broadcast on both Showtime and HBO.
That return bout has been heading to New York on May 18, but WBC champion Wilder fights on rival American cable channel Showtime.
A battle between the winner and WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belt holder Joshua to find the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis has been mooted for Wembley Stadium in September.
But after numerous failures to come to terms with either of the other two top heavies, Joshua has contracted with his promoter Eddie Hearn to box on the DAZN subscription streaming network, who will broadcast his title defence agains Jarrell Miller in New York on June 1.