Brook vs. Hatton Sets Sky Sports Audience Figures Record

Kell Brook’s brilliant ‘War of the Roses’ victory over Matthew Hatton was watched by record numbers on Sky Sports.

The welterweight star signalled his intention to shake up the welterweight scene at World level with a commanding points win over Hatton in the Mancunian’s 50th pro outing, and the top class evening of boxing from the Motorpoint Arena Sheffield gripped the living rooms of Britain as well as captivating the 10,000 packed into the Arena.

Carl Frampton defended his Commonwealth super bantamweight crown with a second round stoppage of Ghanaian Prosper Ankrah, while Kerry Hope wrestled the European middleweight title away from Greg Proksa in a gruelling 12 round battle live on Sky Sports before Brook’s masterclass.

“I was thrilled with the sell-out crowd so to hear about the TV figures is amazing,” said Brook, who moved his unbeaten record to 27-0. “A lot of people said I might not handle the pressure but I thrived on it and I hope that the next time I’m out we can create something even bigger.”

With the world at his feet, the 25 year-old hopes to return to Sheffield in the summer in another huge night for the Steel City, and his promoter Eddie Hearn will be keen to let ‘The Special One’ sample another big night in his hometown in a few months time.

“The figures we received from Sky Sports are just further proof that Kell really is Special,” said Hearn. “It was a fantastic night and all the fighters involved should be proud of the part they played entertaining a full house in Sheffield and hundreds of thousands of households in the UK. Nights like last Saturday are the future of British boxing and the figures prove that.”