Canelo Alvarez Signs Biggest Contract In Sports History

Boxing megastar Canelo Alvarez just inked a huge broadcasting deal with DAZN streaming service.

Alvarez is currently the unified middleweight champion of boxing, coming off a majority decision win over Gennady Golovkin last month. The fight was the last of his broadcast deal with HBO, who recently announced they’ll be exiting the boxing game after several decades.

Golden Boy Promotions’ Oscar De La Hoya had announced that negotiations to find Canelo a new home would be getting underway immediately – and he wasn’t lying. While most fans assumed Alvarez would jump to now-former HBO Boxing rival, Showtime, the Canelo camp opted to go a different route.

ESPN has reported that Alvarez inked a five-year, 11-fight, $365 million broadcast deal with DAZN. The streaming service just debuted in the United States in May, but has been up and running since 2016. DAZN has been on quite a rise as of late, already having streamed several Bellator MMA events, as well as boxing matches featuring the likes of Anthony Joshua.

The broadcast deal is the richest contract signed by an athlete since New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton. He had signed a 13-year, $325 million deal with the Miami Marlins in 2014. De La Hoya concealed that Alvarez is “extremely happy” being the highest-paid athlete in the world.

While Alvarez enjoys his new deal, he will make his return to the ring in December. The Mexican is challenging Rocky Fielding for the super middleweight championship. This would be Canelo’s first title at a new weight class.