First Golf, Now Boxing? Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) In Talks To Launch Boxing League Worth $4B-$5B: Report

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is reportedly in discussions with key boxing stakeholders to create a league, potentially transforming the sport’s competitive landscape.

What Happened: The PIF is in talks with several prominent boxing promoters, including Matchroom Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions, to establish a new boxing league, Reuters reported. The deal is estimated to value the new entity at $4-$5 billion, with the PIF taking a minority stake.

The league’s structure is yet to be determined, and the PIF and the involved promoters declined to comment on the matter.

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The PIF, under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been actively investing in various sports as part of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 program, which aims to diversify the economy and reduce its reliance on oil.

Boxing is the latest sport to attract potential investment from the PIF, following deals in golf, Formula 1 and soccer. The fund is also considering investing in a new cycling league.

Why It Matters: The PIF’s potential entry into the boxing world came at a time when the sport was experiencing significant shifts. For instance, the much-anticipated boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson was rescheduled to Nov. 15 and streamed live on Netflix Inc NFLX, marking the first time the streaming platform will host a live fight.

Meanwhile, the PIF’s previous investments in sports were not without controversy. The fund’s funding of the LIV Golf series led to a rivalry with the PGA Tour and a subsequent deal to merge the tours, which is now at risk following stalled talks and criticism from a U.S. Senate panel.

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This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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