What’s On This Weekend in TV Sports (April 17-18)

By ( Multichannel News ) published

MLS makes season debut; Triller offers PPV boxing match

MLS Is Back Tournament 2020
MLS Soccer (Image credit: Phil Ellsworth/ESPN Images)

Major League Soccer will kick off its 2021 regular season this weekend with a Saturday evening game on Fox (Austin FC vs LAFC) and Sunday afternoon telecast on ABC (LA Galaxy vs Inter Miami), as part of a busy TV sports weekend across cable and broadcast networks. 

On the combat sports front, Fox will feature a primetime Saturday night boxing match headlined by a super welterweight bout between Tony Harrison and Bryant Perrella. Triller will also step into the boxing week on Saturday with a PPV fight card featuring YouTube star Jake Paul facing off against former MMA fighter Ben Askren. 

Read also: Triller Looking to Shake Up PPV Event Category

ESPN on Saturday will telecast a UFC Fight Night mixed martial arts card culminating in a main event bout between Robert Whittaker and Kevin Gastelum. 

In other sports, ABC will air a primetime Saturday night game between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics.

CBS will air final round coverage of the PGA RGB Heritage Golf tournament on Saturday and Sunday, while NBC will offer NHL game telecasts on both Saturday and Sunday afternoon. 

NBC will also air on Sunday the Grand Prix of Alabama IndyCar race, while Fox will telecast live the Toyota Owners 400 NASCAR Cup Series race.  

ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball telecast will feature the Atlanta Braves against the Chicago Cubs. 

R. Thomas Umstead
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.