ESPN Partners with Jake Paul’s MVP to Launch Global Women’s Boxing League

2026-03-07 companies

Bristol, Saturday, 7 March 2026.
Marking a pivot from legacy promoters, ESPN fills its combat sports void by securing rights to MVP’s new women’s league, validating the commercial power of creator-led ventures.

Filling the Void in Combat Sports Programming

On Friday, March 6, 2026, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), the company co-founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, formally announced a multi-year broadcast agreement with ESPN [1][3]. This partnership designates ESPN as the exclusive United States broadcaster for MVP’s newly formed women’s boxing league, MVPW, with rights extending through 2028 [1]. The deal represents a significant strategic pivot for The Walt Disney Company’s sports network, which has been seeking to rebuild its combat sports portfolio following the departure of two major properties. ESPN ceased its regular boxing programming in July 2025 after its eight-year partnership with Top Rank concluded [2][7]. Furthermore, the network faced a substantial programming gap after the UFC moved its broadcast rights to Paramount+ on January 1, 2026, in a seven-year deal valued at $7.7 billion [2]. By aligning with MVP, ESPN secures content from a promotion that demonstrated massive reach in November 2024, when the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson event peaked at 125 million viewers on Netflix [2].

MVPW: A Dedicated League for Female Athletes

The cornerstone of this agreement is the launch of MVPW, which MVP describes as the “global home for women’s boxing” [3]. The league launches with a roster of 43 signed fighters, a collective that includes 38 world champions and top contenders [6]. In a joint statement, Paul and Bidarian emphasized that the venture is designed to engage both existing boxing purists and “untapped fan demographics that embrace women’s sport” [1]. The structure of the deal ensures that the majority of MVPW events will be broadcast on ESPN’s linear channels, providing mainstream visibility for athletes who have historically struggled for equitable airtime compared to their male counterparts [3]. This initiative validates the commercial model MVP has tested over the last five years, moving from individual event promotion to a structured league format backed by a major cable network [1].

Inaugural Schedule and International Distribution

The league’s schedule commences immediately, with the inaugural event, MVPW-01, set for April 5, 2026, in London, England [3]. This card features a lightweight unification bout between Caroline Dubois and Terri Harper [1]. While the event will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom—confirming MVP’s international reach—it will be streamed in the United States via the ESPN App [2][3]. The partnership transitions to linear television in the U.S. with MVPW-02 on April 17, 2026 [3]. This event will be held at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, headlined by the undisputed super featherweight champion Alycia Baumgardner facing Bo Mi Re Shin [1][5]. Following the New York debut, the league will travel to El Paso, Texas, for MVPW-03 on May 30, 2026, featuring a rematch between Stephanie Han and Holly Holm [3][5].

Strategic Venue Partnerships and Future Outlook

Concurrent with the media rights agreement, MVP has solidified a strategic partnership with MSG Entertainment to host annual MVPW events at Madison Square Garden over the next three years [3]. This venue deal complements the broadcast exposure, ensuring that the league’s marquee events take place in one of the world’s most iconic sporting arenas. Rosalyn Durant, ESPN’s Executive Vice President of Programming & Acquisitions, noted that the partnership allows the network to showcase “championship matchups” and elevate the sport on a national stage [3]. For MVP, this completes a quartet of major media relationships, as the promotion now holds active agreements with Netflix, DAZN, Sky Sports, and ESPN, effectively covering the spectrum of streaming and linear distribution models in combat sports [2].

Sources

Sports Media Broadcasting Rights