Sources: Top Rank-ESPN Reunion a Real Possibility, Talks Ongoing
- Matthew Brown
- 13 hours ago
- 3 min read
02/23/2026
Meet the new network, same as the old network? It is very much on the table.
After months of uncertainty and shifting alliances in the combat sports media space, a Top Rank and ESPN reunion is no longer far fetched.
Sources tell Brunch Boxing that Top Rank and ESPN are in talks to reignite their partnership, a little more than six months after their stunning split. The history between the two sides runs deep. Top Rank originally signed with ESPN in 2017. In 2018, after averaging more than 1.5 million viewers per show during the first year of the partnership, the agreement was amended into a seven year pact that called for 54 events annually split between ESPN and ESPN+.
The latest revelation comes at a time when Top Rank has been navigating uncertain waters, struggling to secure a consistent landing spot for its roster.
Since the breakup, Top Rank has relied on placing its fighters on cards with other promoters across various platforms. The company also staged a one off event at the end of January to maintain some level of in house activity. In a more sobering move, several of its less marketable fighters were granted free agency and allowed to pursue opportunities elsewhere.
The separation traces back to February 2025 when ESPN informed the promotional powerhouse it would not renew their agreement after the conclusion of their eight year run that summer. Top Rank CEO Bob Arum signaled at the time that the company would explore new broadcast arrangements and even floated the idea of dividing rights among multiple outlets. Preliminary discussions reportedly took place with Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery, though neither gained meaningful traction.
What once appeared to be an icy and final divorce now seems to have thawed. The departure of two key ESPN executives is widely viewed as a turning point. Matt Kenny served as ESPN Vice President of Programming and Acquisitions and worked closely with Top Rank on boxing content. Glenn Jacobs, a veteran executive who oversaw MMA production at ESPN and acted as a liaison between the network and the UFC, also played a significant role in shaping combat sports coverage.
Within industry circles, the prevailing belief is that boxing was deprioritized as ESPN focused heavily on retaining the UFC. The company line internally suggested that boxing would not be re signed until a new UFC agreement was secured. That leverage ultimately paid off for the UFC, though not with ESPN.
The final Top Rank card on ESPN aired July 26, 2025, headlined by Xander Zayas defeating Jorge Garcia. Less than two weeks later, Ultimate Fighting Championship stunned the sports world by announcing a seven year 7.7 billion dollar rights agreement with Paramount. The landmark deal marked the first major sports acquisition following Paramount’s merger with Skydance and positioned Paramount+ as the streaming home for 13 monthly premium UFC events and 30 Fight Nights, with select events simulcast on CBS.
In a move that raised eyebrows across the industry, Kenny left ESPN to join Paramount as Vice President of Programming for CBS Sports and Paramount. Jacobs made a similar jump. Their exits fueled speculation within both Top Rank and ESPN that personal career ambitions may have influenced the deterioration of the boxing deal.
A source with firsthand knowledge of the situation told Brunch Boxing unequivocally that “Matt Kenny and Glenn Jacobs sabotaged the ESPN deal and then left to go to Paramount and Zuffa Boxing.”
Whether that claim is accurate or not, the landscape has clearly shifted. With those executives no longer at ESPN, conversations between the network and Top Rank have resumed in earnest. For now, both companies appear to recognize the value they once created together.
While no agreement is imminent, sources describe the talks as positive, with ESPN actively pushing to bring boxing back into the fold.
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