Recruiting popular boxers like Jacobs (l) is critical to DAZN's game plan moving forwardGETTY IMAGES
Canelo Alvarez opened his 11-fight, $365M deal with DAZN on Saturday night at MSG, and free agent Daniel Jacobs has made his case to "join Alvarez while fighting for the new streaming service," according to Lance Pugmire of the L.A. TIMES. Jacobs said of a possible fight against Alvarez, "If we can get a big fight with DAZN ... I'm the perfect candidate." Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya, who represents Alvarez, "didn't offer any insight" into his fighter's next matchup at Saturday's postfight news conference. He said, "As a team, collectively, we will decide. There are plenty of challenges. I will have an answer for you after the holidays. The pool has gotten bigger." Meanwhile, DAZN execs "won't divulge how much their $9.99 subscription numbers grew with Alvarez's launch." But the company "needs to bring its base to at least 650,000 just to pay for two Alvarez fights per year," so recruiting the likes of Gennady Golovkin and Jacobs "is crucial." De La Hoya said that he sat next to a DAZN exec on Saturday who "was 'so motivated' by the Alvarez fight that he'll 'devote even more money into boxing." De La Hoya: "Boxing is more alive and well than it's ever been" (L.A. TIMES, 12/17).
