Canelo Alvarez has signed an eye-watering contract with DAZN worth nearly £278million over the next five years.
The deal is believed to be the richest contract an athlete has signed in sports history, topping the £247m New York Yankees star Giancarlo Stanton made in 2014 while at the Miami Marlins.
Mexico’s Alvarez, who recently dethroned Gennady Golovkin in Las Vegas, has committed his future to the sports streaming service for the next five years and his next 11 fights.
The Mexican sensation put pen to paper in the early hours of the morning on Wednesday.
DAZN is a growing player in the boxing market following its $1billion deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom USA earlier this year.
Canelo’s first fight on the new platform will come on December 15, when he takes on Britain’s Rocky Fielding at Madison Square Garden.
The deal comes in the wake of the news that US network HBO, on whose shows Alvarez previously fought, will stop showing boxing at the end of the year.
Pay-per-view fights on HBO typically cost more than £60 for US viewers but now fans will be able to watch Canelo and DAZN’s other sports offerings for only $9.99 a month.
Canelo’s first fight on the platform will be against Britain’s Rocky Fielding on December 15
‘Being part of this historic deal will require me to prepare myself even more and offer fans even better performances. At the same time, I am humbled to be selected to lead this new vision for the sport of boxing, which will without a doubt be for the benefit of the fans,’ Canelo toldESPN.
‘It’s very important for me to give the fans the biggest fights and the most important fights, and I promise you I will always do that. The December fight with Fielding is a dangerous fight.
‘I am moving up in weight, and I don’t know how my body will feel. But I always want to take on challenges, and I am very happy my fans will be able to see me fight for a small cost.’
Alvarez (right) signs the doted lines
