Canelo Alvarez-Jaime Munguia PPV Boxing Event; ‘UFC 301’; Kentucky Derby: What’s on This Weekend in TV Sports (May 4-5)

Canelo Alvarez (L) and Jermell Charlo battle in Showtime's September 30 pay-per-view boxing match.
Canelo Alvarez (L) and Jermell Charlo battle in Showtime's September 30, 2023 pay-per-view boxing match. (Image credit: Showtime Sports)

Marquee boxing and mixed martial arts pay-per-view events will look to take the TV-sports spotlight away from the NBA and NHL playoffs over the first weekend on May.

In the boxing ring, Prime Video and DAZN on Saturday will distribute the Canelo Alvarez-Jaime Munguia super middleweight undisputed championship fight. The fight card also features the featherweight title between champion Brandon Figueroa and Jessie Magdaleno. 

In the octagon, ESPN on Saturday will distribute pay-per-view event UFC 301, with a main-event fight between flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja and Steve Erceg.  

NBC on Saturday will televise the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown. On the links, CBS and Golf Channel will provide weekend coverage of the final rounds of the PGA CJ Cup Byron Nelson tournament.

The NHL Stanley Cup playoffs skate on Saturday with Game 7 of the Toronto Maple Leafs-Boston Bruins first-round series on ABC. On Sunday, the league drops the puck on round two with Game 1 of the Carolina Hurricanes-New York Rangers Eastern Conference semifinal match on ESPN.

Turning to the NBA playoffs, TNT on Saturday will televise Game 1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves-Denver Nuggets Western Division semifinal. On Sunday, ABC will air Game 7 of the Orlando Magic-Cleveland Cavaliers series. 

On the soccer field, CBS on Sunday will televise the NWSL Kansas City Current-Houston Dash match, while on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball telecast will feature the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies. 

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.