According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Premier Boxing champions announced that they will have over 60 dates over 9 networks in 2017.
PBC announced it would continue to have fights on ESPN/ESPN Deportes, Fox, Fox Sports 1/Fox Deportes, NBC, Spike, Bounce TV and Showtime, as well as potential bouts on CBS, Showtime’s sister network.
ESPN’s 12-card slate, which is simulcast on ESPN Deportes in Spanish, will run from April to August with the season debut taking place on April 14. That is a modified schedule from when PBC and ESPN announced their partnership in 2015 under which monthly cards were initially scheduled.
EDITOR’S PICKS
Showtime gets back in ring with five fight cards
Showtime announced five fight cards that will be televised over the next five months, including two world title unification bouts.
“We are thrilled to welcome Premier Boxing Champions back on ESPN in 2017,” said Burke Magnus, executive vice president, programming and scheduling for ESPN. “The PBC series has delivered exciting boxing events that have garnered solid boxing viewership for ESPN. We are looking forward to showcasing a new season of fights next year.”
Fox once again will air three prime-time network shows, the first of which will take place Feb. 25. Sister network FS1 will televise 25 cards between February and October. Those cards are simulcast on Fox Deportes.
“We’re excited for the 2017 PBC series on Fox, FS1 and Fox Deportes with a robust schedule of outstanding matches at all levels of boxing, including exciting champions, contenders and prospects,” said David Nathanson, Fox Sports head of business operations. “We’ve enjoyed our thrilling Tuesday night series on FS1 and Fox Deportes and had several major title fights on the Fox broadcast network, including the heavyweight championship of the world [with Deontay Wilder]. We’re looking for more great fights in the coming year.”
NBC was due to televise several cards on broadcast network and cable network NBC Sports Net in the second half of 2016, but they were canceled.
However, NBC will televise three prime-time network shows in the second half of 2017, beginning with the first show on Sept. 23. It is unclear if there will be PBC fights returning to NBC Sports Net, which televised the series regularly during its first two years of operation.
Spike, which typically puts on one PBC show per month, will continue to run Friday night cards in 2017, beginning on Jan. 13. It still has a Nov. 12 card and possibly a December card remaining this year. Spike featured many of the top fighters on the PBC roster this year, including Daniel Jacobs, Adrien Broner and Adonis Stevenson.
Bounce TV, a network aimed primarily at African-American viewers, will feature quarterly cards with the first scheduled for March 31.
