The sweet science is making a comeback on television and multicast network Bounce TV plans to air a series of Premier Boxing Champions bouts beginning in July.
The upstart PBC, which has already made TV deals to put bouts on NBC, CBS and Spike, is run by fight mogul Al Haymon. Haymon was quietly one of the founders of Bounce, the three-year-old broadcast network that targets African-American viewers, along with noted men of peace Martin Luther King III and Ambassador Andrew Young.
Bounce’s boxing series will be called PBC The Next Round. It will air monthly and feature two hours of live boxing featuring up and coming pugilists.
Live sports have proven to be a generator of both ratings and distribution for TV networks and the PBC is looking to make a splash. PBC is looking to bring boxing back to TV in a big way, starting with March 7 bouts on NBC, which will air five Saturday prime time boxing cards and six on Saturday afternoons.
“This series provides future stars of boxing frequent nationwide exposure on over-the-air television, and will benefit the African-American audience who I believe miss watching this great sport on free TV,” King said in a statement.
Bounce plans to announce its on-air talent sometime shortly.
“Many legendary boxing champions have been heroes to the African-American community, whose love of, and passion for, the ‘sweet science’ spans decades,” Young said. “I am thrilled that Bounce TV will take part in this great sport’s return to prominence.”
Bounce is available in more than 85 million homes in 90 markets, including 90% of African-American homes.
