Live Boxing Returns To CBS Network TV
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — CBS officially announced Tuesday that live boxing will return to network TV coming this spring, with the advent of the Premier Boxing Champions, which CBS will air in conjunction with marquee Showtime Championship Boxing events as part of a partnership that will cross-promote the live programs across multiple platforms.
"The Premier Boxing Champions series on CBS will help usher in a new era in the storied history of boxing," said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Showtime Sports. "With the support of our parent company, we are uniquely positioned for a three-tiered approach that includes live boxing broadcasts on America's No. 1 network, the cable reach of CBS Sports Network and, of course, the premium television leader in boxing, Showtime. The benefit of elevating the sport across these platforms for all involved, including Showtime, is immeasurable."
Live boxing on the CBS Television Network—the first of up to eight events in 2015 will premiere on Saturday, April 4 at 3 p.m. ET on CBS.
The first six weeks to begin this venture will feature two of the biggest names in the sport—Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and Adonis Stevenson—and bookend this year's most anticipated boxing event, the Showtime PPV presentation of the world's undisputed pound-for-pound champion Floyd Mayweather.
The CBS premiere on Saturday, April 4 will feature light heavyweight world champion Adonis Stevenson defending his WBC title against former super middleweight champ Sakio Bika. In addition, undefeated light heavyweight contender Artur Beterbiev will face veteran former world champ Gabriel Campillo. The CBS broadcast, with its national reach of more than 110 million households, will offer a broad platform to promote a major Showtime Championship Boxing event just two weeks later.
Each live boxing event on CBS and Showtime will be supported with short- and long-form shoulder programming that will air across multiple platforms including CBS, Showtime and CBS Sports Network. In addition, a significant marketing budget will be dedicated to promoting each of the live CBS broadcasts and each major Showtime telecast with targeted advertising campaigns.
The Premier Boxing Champions series was created for television by Haymon Sports. It is the first consistent series presentation of live boxing on CBS in 15 years. The network aired a one-off live event featuring current WBC Super Bantamweight Champion Leo Santa Cruz in 2012. Prior to that, the last live boxing on the network was in 1997 when then-middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins knocked out Glen Johnson.
Live boxing was a staple on the network in the 1980s, consistently featuring future Hall of Famers Sugar Ray Leonard, Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini and others.
Boxing's history on CBS dates back to 1948 when the Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts premiered featuring legendary blow-by-blow commentator Russ Hodges.