Artur Beterbiev vs Joe Smith Jr live stream: how to watch boxing online from anywhere, full fight, ring walks
It's a 175-pound beltholder unification showdown in New York
New Yorker Joe Smith Jr will put his WBO light heavyweight belt on the line for the second time as he faces Russian WBC and IBF champ Artur Beterbiev in this much-anticipated unification showdown at Madison Square Garden's Hulu Theater. Read on as we explain how to watch an Artur Beterbiev vs Joe Smith Jr live stream wherever you are anywhere in the world.
Date: Saturday, June 18
Venue: Madison Square Garden's Hulu Theater, New York
Beterbiev vs Smith Jr ring walk time (approx): 11.30pm ET / 8.30pm PST / 4.30am BST
Live stream: ESPN/ESPN Plus (US) | Sky Sports (UK) | TSN (CA)
Watch anywhere: try our No. 1 rated VPN 100% risk-free
Having claimed the WBO light heavyweight crown last April after defeating Maxim Vlasov, Smith successfully defending the title for the first time earlier this year with a ninth round stoppage against Steve Geffard. The 28-3 New Jersey fighter will now be looking to add two more belts to his tally as he fights on home turf against a well-matched big hitter in the form of Russian star Artur Beterbiev.
Currently based in Montreal, Beterbiev has held the IBF title since 2017 and the WBC title since 2019, and boasts a fearsome record of 17-0, with each of those victories coming via knockout. The winner of this tantalising bout looks likely to push for a chance at claiming the undisputed crown and a fight against current WBA belt holder Dmitry Bivol.
The fight is on ESPN and ESPN+ ($6.99/month) in the US. In the UK, Sky TV has the rights, but you can watch all of the action from New York unfold, no matter where you are in the world by following our guide below on how to watch a Beterbiev vs Smith Jr live stream online from anywhere.
- Related: how to get a UFC live stream for every Fight Night and PPV
How to watch Beterbiev vs Smith Jr live stream online in the US
Boxing fans based in the US have several options for watching the Beterbiev vs Smith Jr fight. If you have cable, you can watch it on ESPN and Spanish-language channel ESPN Deportes.
If you don't have cable, then you can watch Beterbiev vs Smith Jr on streaming service ESPN+ for a very reasonable $6.99 per month with no contract.
Beterbiev vs Smith Jr coverage gets underway at 10pm ET / 7pm PT, with the fighters expected to make their ring walks an hour and a half later.
A pound-for-pound cheaper ESPN Plus price is also available for $69.99 for a year and arguably the best value is the combined ESPN+, Hulu and Disney Plus Bundle for $13.99 a month.
Cable-cutters may also want to consider Sling TV, which includes ESPN channels from just $35 a month on its Sling Orange package, though you can get your first month for half price here.
Meanwhile, fuboTV is an even more complete end-to-end cable replacement service, which offers ESPN and over 120 other channels on plans starting from $64.99 a month. Oh yeah... and it comes with a FREE FREE Trial, too!
How to watch Beterbiev vs Smith Jr from outside your country
There are some great ways of watching Beterbiev vs Smith Jr all over the world but you won't be able to if you're away from home and blocked from your usual service. To get round that, you need to use a VPN to dial into a country that's showing the fight.
VPNs change your IP address making it appear that you're in a completely different location. Here's how to get started.
Use a VPN to live stream Beterbiev vs Smith Jr anywhere
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Once you've downloaded the software, just follow the prompts to install it then select the location you want to relocate your IP address to - it really is that easy.
How to watch Beterbiev vs Smith Jr: live stream boxing in the UK
If you stay up late enough, you can watch Beterbiev vs Smith Jr on Sky Sports.
Coverage begins on Sky Sports Action at 2am BST on Saturday night/Sunday morning, with Beterbiev vs Smith Jr expected to make their ring walks at 4.30am, so it's a good idea to have a pot of coffee to hand.
Subscribers can also live stream Beterbiev vs Smith Jr using the Sky Go app, which is available on nearly all modern phones, tablets, laptops, PCs and consoles.
For those without Sky, a better option may be to pick up a Now TV Sky Sports Monthly Pass, which includes all 11 of its sports channels.
To access your usual streaming service from outside the UK, you'll need to download a good VPN, as detailed above.
How to watch Beterbiev vs Smith Jr: live stream boxing in Canada
In Canada, the Beterbiev vs Smith Jr fight is being shown by TSN. Existing subscribers can log-in to watch TSN live streams at no extra charge with details of their TV provider.
Cord-cutters, meanwhile, can sign up to the TSN Direct streaming service for just $7.99 a day or (much better value) $19.99 a month.
TSN's coverage of Beterbiev vs Smith Jr begins on TSN 5 at 10pm ET / 7pm PT, and the fighters are expected to make their ring walks at around 11.30pm EST / 8.30pm PST.
Canadian abroad? You can use a VPN to magically transport yourself back to Canada to live stream boxing just as you would at home.
Can you watch Beterbiev vs Smith Jr in Australia?
Sadly there's no confirmed broadcaster for Beterbiev vs Smith Jr in Australia at the time of writing. The only alternative is to use one of the best VPN service providers to tap into coverage from another nation, as described above.
The software is generally ideal for this as it allows you to change your IP address and appear to be in a completely different location - and all through a safe, encrypted connection. But do bear in mind that many paid streaming services do require a credit card based in the country the service is from.
Beterbiev vs Smith Jr time and date
The Beterbiev vs Smith Jr fight takes place on Saturday, June 18 at Madison Square Garden's Hulu Theater, New York.
Ring walks for the main event are roughly expected to be as follows.
Beterbiev vs Smith Jr ring walk times
- Beterbiev vs Smith Jr time (US and Canada): 11.30pm ET / 8.30pm PT / 10.30pm CT
- Beterbiev vs Smith Jr time (UK): 4.30am BST (Sunday, June 19)
Beterbiev vs Smith Jr: full card for Saturday's event
- Artur Beterbiev (c) vs. Joe Smith Jr. (c) - WBC, IBF, and WBO light-heavyweight unification title fight
- Robeisy Ramirez vs. Abraham Nova - Featherweight
- Wendy Toussaint vs. Asina Byfield; - Women's Super-Welterweight
- Jahyae Brown vs. Keane McMahon - Super-Welterweight
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Kevin Lynch is a London-born, Dublin-based writer and journalist. The author of Steve Jobs: A Biographic Portrait, Kevin is a regular feature writer for a number of tech sites and the former Technology Editor for the Daily Mirror. He has also served as editor of GuinnessWorldRecords.com and has been a member of the judging panel for the BAFTA British Academy Video Game Awards. Alongside reviewing the latest AV gear, smartphones and computers, Kevin also specialises in music tech and can often be found putting the latest DAWs, MIDI controllers and guitar modellers through their paces. Born within the sound of Bow Bells, Kevin is also a lifelong West Ham fan for his troubles.