Former Denver Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe shot to fame in the NFL as a three-time Super Bowl winner, but found a different avenue to sustain his post-football career in the public eye. While he kept sharpening his skills on the gridiron, Sharpe garnered a strong interest in boxing. He has made combat sports a major focus of his media network, and years after being removed from the NFL and boxing, Sharpe has hit a new milestone. 

“@DAZN has partnered with @ShannonSharpe’s Shay Shay Media on dedicated Club Shay Shay and Nightcap boxing episodes, exclusive fighter interviews and custom programming for DAZN’s biggest pay-per-view fights,” Barrett Media reported. 

Club Shay Shay is a popular weekly podcast hosted by the Pro Football Hall of Famer. And The Nightcap podcast is another sports talk podcast hosted by Sharpe and Chad Johnson. Even though the podcast, which has 2.17 million subscribers, mostly covers the NFL, it also occasionally features boxing-focused episodes to cater to Sharpe’s interest in the sport. 

DAZN, a global over-the-top (OTT) sports streaming and entertainment platform, is leveraging Sharpe’s media influence to introduce boxing to sports fans who might not otherwise follow the sport or watch its biggest fights. Sharpe’s platforms will serve as an additional promotional and content-distribution channel for DAZN.

“DAZN is doing incredible things for boxing, bringing the sport’s biggest stars and most exciting events to fans around the world,” Sharpe said. “Shay Shay Media is excited to partner with DAZN to bring this programming to boxing fans, introduce these events to new audiences and fuel current interest in the sport. Nightcap and Club Shay Shay were purposefully built at the intersection of sports and culture. This partnership brings those worlds together in a powerful way.”

Beyond exclusive conversations with fighters, the collaboration will also produce custom content tied to some of the streaming platform’s biggest pay-per-view events.

The collaboration will extend beyond Sharpe’s involvement, bringing his Nightcap co-hosts, Chad Johnson and Joe “Iso” Johnson, into the mix. Dedicated episodes of Club Shay Shay and Nightcap will feature candid discussions and behind-the-scenes content to showcase the personalities and stories of fighters outside the ring.

Meanwhile, Shay Shay Media will develop original programming around DAZN’s marquee pay-per-view events. The agreement also opens the door to cross-promotion across DAZN’s growing regional sports network operations.

“Our ambition is to continue growing boxing fandom across the U.S. while strengthening our connection with the fans who have always supported the sport. Shannon, Chad, and Joe have built influential platforms that bring sports fans together. This partnership gives us an exciting opportunity to showcase our biggest PPV fights, deepen fan engagement, and introduce new audiences to boxing, while creating cross-promotional opportunities across DAZN’s expanding Regional Sports Network business,” said DAZN Vice President of North American Boxing Joelle Cartier. 

Although the two companies have outlined their plans to bring boxing content to a wider audience, the finer details are still pending. No launch date or programming schedule has been confirmed, and the financial terms of the deal have not been made public. 

DAZN has also not identified the upcoming pay-per-view events that will receive special coverage.

But so what? Chad Johnson is already excited. 

“I can’t wait to fight on @DAZNBoxing 🥊,” he wrote on X, confirming the news. 

While Sharpe is known for outspoken opinions on his podcasts, time to see whether DAZN Boxing opens up old fights. 

DAZN Partnership Puts Shannon Sharpe’s Previous Boxing Controversy Back in Focus

The incident must still be fresh in the memory of the Nightcap fans. Back in July, Sharpe got into a heated verbal spat with the World Boxing Organization and Ring magazine over the junior welterweight title winner Shakur Stevenson on the Nightcap podcast. 

Stevenson had more than just his podcast appearance making headlines that day. Hours before joining the conversation, he had signed a multi-year, multi-fight agreement with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing. The deal made him the promotion’s biggest signing. It led Sharpe to invite him on his podcast. 

“Your style is boring to me,” Sharpe said. 

Stevenson was not ready to swallow the insult. 

“You’re being ignorant,” the boxer said. “I’m speaking far as your boxing knowledge and what you’re talking about in the sport of boxing, you’re ignorant.”

The back-and-forth continued as Sharpe questioned whether Stevenson receives more recognition than his knockout numbers warrant. While the boxer has built a 25-win record, only 11 of those victories have come via knockout. Sharpe used it to strengthen his case.

“I don’t believe you’re gonna get the credit you deserve without knocking people out,” said Sharpe. 

“That’s how I know you never boxed before. Do your homework Unc,” Stevenson had his answer ready.

Months removed, time to see how Sharpe treads through dodging controversies after partnering with DAZN.