RTÉ to broadcast Katie Taylor fight at Croke Park

By Cillian Sherlock, Press Association

Katie Taylor’s hometown fight at Croke Park will be shown live on Irish national broadcaster RTÉ, according to the station.

The 39-year-old light-welterweight will end her decorated career at the Dublin venue on September 5th, knowing victory over Flora Pili will see her crowned undisputed world champion for the third time.

RTÉ’s head of sport announced on Wednesday morning that the broadcaster will stream the fight after months-long negotiations with DAZN and Matchroom Boxing, but refused to say how much it had paid for the rights.

It's a sporting event like no other involving an athlete like no other

Declan McBennett said RTÉ would also show the weigh-in and the pre-fight press conference.

He said: “I think there is a sense that this is somehow different. It’s a sporting event like no other involving an athlete like no other.

“It is, I think, by all accounts, going to be one of those national moments.”

RTÉ will take DAZN’s feed of the event but will add its own presentation, including having its own personnel on the ground.

Asked on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland how much it had paid for the rights, Mr McBennett said it was “commercially sensitive”.

Pressed on whether Government support was being provided to RTÉ for the fight, he said it was not.

However, he acknowledged there were “probably areas elsewhere” in the organisation “that will maybe not have as much wriggle room as they wanted to”.

Croke Park is an 82,300-capacity Gaelic Games venue which has not hosted boxing since Muhammad Ali’s victory over Al “Blue” Lewis in 1972.