David Haye, the London-based World Amateur silver medallist, has decided to turn professional and public broadcaster the BBC has signed a deal to televise the boxer's first ten fights.
Though the agreement is some way below the £1million the BBC paid to screen Harrison's initial professional bouts, the acquisition of Haye still represents something of a risk to the broadcaster given the poor TV audiences its recent boxing coverage has been garnering.
Much of the blame for the disappointing viewing figures for Harrison has been attributed to the lack of any competitive fighter to take on the Olympic gold medallist and the BBC remains undeterred as to its decision to build up its portfolio of boxing rights.
Said the broadcaster's head of boxing Mike Lewis: "This is great news for the BBC, David Haye and the boxing public. We are developing a talented stable of boxers and looking forward to following an oustanding fighter on terrestrial TV."
Despite disappointing results from its lucrative TV rights agreement with Olympic gold medallist Audley Harrison, the BBC has tied up a deal for coverage of the next British boxing hope.
