SAUNDERS FIRST ON ‘NETFLIX OF SPORT’

DAZN, the so-called ‘Netflix of sport’, is to launch in the UK in May — with Billy Joe Saunders expected to face Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in a mouthwatering first fight on the streaming service.

The UK-based platform will expand to more than 200 countries, starting with Canelo’s return to the ring on May 2.

WBO super-middleweight champion Saunders is the front-runner to face world boxing’s biggest star, though no deal has been finalised. Liverpool’s WBA champion Callum Smith is also in the mix for the mammoth showdown.

DAZN’s impending expansion marks another seismic shift in the British broadcasting landscape, which has been dominated for the past few decades by Sky Sports and more recently BT Sport.

Amazon Prime has dipped its toes into the UK market, showing Grand Slam tennis and Premier League football. Now DAZN hope to break the stranglehold of traditional fight sport broadcasters in this country before widening their reach to other major sports, including Premier League football.

Rather than putting the biggest fights on pay-per-view, which in the UK can cost up to £25, DAZN charges a monthly subscription for all its coverage.

Sources have indicated that UK viewers will pay £4.99 a month for the service, which will initially put on around 12 boxing shows a year.

For that, they can watch the likes of Canelo, Gennady Golovkin, Mikey Garcia and Katie Taylor. Saunders and other boxers signed to Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom USA will also fight on DAZN in the UK.

The streaming service has US and international broadcasting rights to Anthony Joshua’s fights, too.

But the world heavyweight champion is still tied up with Matchroom’s UK arm, which has an existing deal with Sky Sports. His contract has two years to run.