TikTok is making a louder case for itself as more than just a short-form video app. On Wednesday, the platform extended its sports footprint with two major moves: a first-ever boxing event on TikTok LIVE and a new global partnership with the NBA and WNBA that will put highlights, creator access, and live-game discovery in front of basketball fans around the world.
The announcements also come just months after TikTok finalized a deal to continue operating in the U.S. under a majority American-owned joint venture, ending years of uncertainty over the app’s future in the country. With that chapter behind it, TikTok appears to be accelerating its push into premium sports content.
Amanda Serrano’s historic championship fight lands on TikTok LIVE
The biggest headline will happen in the squared circle with Most Valuable Promotions teaming with TikTok LIVE for the first championship boxing event ever streamed on the platform. On Friday, August 21, at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California, the event will be headlined by Amanda Serrano against Lucrecia Manzur, with Serrano chasing the all-time women’s knockout record.
The bout is also set to make history as the first unified women’s world championship contested over 12 two-minute rounds for the WBA and WBO featherweight titles. Now, it will be backed by the reach of TikTok’s global community, giving fans, including Gen Z and Gen Alpha viewers, a new way to follow a major fight card.
“I’ve dedicated my career to creating opportunities for women’s boxing and bringing our sport to the biggest stages possible, so to headline the first-ever championship boxing event on TikTok is incredibly meaningful,” Amanda Serrano said in a press release.
Serrano, who has built one of the biggest resumes in women’s boxing, said the moment matters because it helps put the sport in front of a much wider audience. “Women’s boxing deserves to be seen,” she said in the release, adding that the matchup with Manzur gives her a chance to chase history again in front of a global audience.
“From day one, MVP has challenged the traditional boxing model by creating the biggest moments and opportunities for fighters while finding new ways to bring the sport to fans around the world,” said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions.
Serrano vs. Manzur Fight Card
- Amanda Serrano vs Lucrecia Manzur
- Jahmal Harvey vs Hammet Keb
- Jully Poca vs Cinderella Linnear
- Roxy Verduzco vs Miguelina Hernandez
- Nelvie Tiafack vs Salvador Zavala
- Jocelyn Camarillo vs Ashley Felix
TikTok said the collaboration reflects its push to bring live sports moments to its community. In the company’s words, it is focused on giving fans “new ways to discover, engage, and interact” with the athletes and creators they follow, while helping spotlight Serrano’s historic run.
Instead of a one-off novelty, the Serrano fight gives TikTok a real live-sports showcase at a time when platforms are fighting for attention from younger viewers who do not always watch sports the old-fashioned way. It also gives MVP another stage for a fighter who has already been central to several firsts in women’s boxing.
TikTok, NBA and WNBA team up on a global content partnership
TikTok isn’t stopping at boxing after partnering with the NBA and WNBA in a new multi-year global partnership that significantly expands how basketball content is distributed across the platform.
According to the league, the deal combines content and advertising opportunities with TikTok GamePlan and TikTok Pulse Premiere. The NBA said the partnership comes as basketball continues to surge on the platform. The league noted that global interest for “NBA” and “WNBA” on TikTok has climbed nearly 30% and 15%, respectively, since the start of 2026. The NBA also said the @NBA and @WNBA accounts reach a combined 30 million followers across TikTok.
“This partnership shows how central TikTok has become to the way fans discover and engage with basketball around the world,” said Rollo Goldstaub, TikTok’s Global Head of Sport. “As the NBA and WNBA share game highlights, creators and fans can join the conversation around the biggest moments in real time, and TikTok GamePlan carries that same discovery straight through to tune-in, giving fans a direct path from the feed to the broadcast.”
Like Most Valuable Promotions, the reach is a big part of what makes the deal important. TikTok said the partnership will make the platform a home for NBA and WNBA content, giving fans access to the moments, stories, and personalities that define both leagues. It will also give creators access to marquee events, including WNBA All-Star Weekend, so they can capture and share content around the biggest moments.
According to the NBA, fans are 42% more likely to tune in to live games after watching sports content on the platform. The league also pointed to examples from the 2026 NBA Finals, where it used TikTok GamePlan to generate 497 million impressions and 426,000 referrals to watch games through the league’s Tap to Watch feature
TikTok’s Global Head of Sport, Rollo Goldstaub, said the partnership shows how central TikTok has become to basketball discovery. He said creators and fans can join the conversation around major moments in real time, and that GamePlan helps push fans from the feed to the broadcast. NBA Senior Vice President of Social and Digital Content Bob Carney added that the partnership gives the league another way to meet fans where they are and provide a path to live games.
TikTok’s sports play is getting bigger
Taken together, the Serrano fight and the NBA/WNBA partnership show that TikTok wants a bigger seat at the live-sports table. Boxing gives it a real-time event with a strong storyline, and basketball adds year-round content, creators, highlights, and a direct link to game viewing.
For sports fans, these deals add more official clips, more behind-the-scenes access, and more ways to stumble into a live event without leaving the app. For the leagues and promoters, it means one more route to younger viewers who may be harder to reach through traditional TV alone as more people cut the cord.
With its U.S. ownership questions now largely settled, TikTok appears to be moving aggressively to establish itself as another major player in digital sports media, competing with streaming and traditional TV.
