BOXING: World class fights to feature on new boxing channel

The first ever UK television channel dedicated to boxing will launch at the end of September.

BoxNation, a joint venture between promoter Frank Warren and Boxing Channel Media, will screen a number of live fights, support programming and documentaries.

They have secured the rights to a plethora of top class bouts, including multi-year deals with Warren’s stable of fighters, US-based Golden Boy Promotions, and Germany’s premier promoter Sauerland Promotions.

The channel, which will be available on Sky, Virgin and online, will initially be free-to-air, but will become a subscription service at the end of the year, charging £10 per month.

Some of the most respected broadcasters associated with the sport, including presenters Jim Rosenthal and Paul Dempsey, pundit Steve Bunce and commentator John Rawling, will front BoxNation’s extensive coverage.

BoxNation’s first major bout will be Nathan Cleverly’s world light-heavyweight title showdown with Tony Bellew on October 15.

The channel will also screen fights involving Bernard Hopkins, Mikkel Kessler, George Groves, Frankie Gavin, Ricky Burns, and many more.

Plus there will be daily fight news updates and screenings of classic fights from the boxing archives, featuring Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson and Sugar Ray Leonard.

Warren, who is now into his fourth decade in the sport, will honour his current contract with Sky Sports, which has six fights left to run, before putting his “heart and soul into making the new channel a success”.

“This is what all boxing fans have been waiting for – a dedicated channel, 100% percent committed to showing the best fights from around the world,” he said.

“It’s a big challenge in my career, but I’m really excited by BoxNation and it takes me back to my early years when I was at ITV doing a show a week.”

Warren believes his new channel will give more exposure to all levels of the sport than any other network.

“We’ve had eight to 10 shows a year on Sky but that’s not enough for all the boxers I’ve got in my stable. Now we’ll be able to give them the proper amount of bouts they all deserve.

“From my point of view, it’s a dream come true and for all boxing fans.”

Warren’s move to form his own indepedent boxing channel diminishes Sky Sports’ boxing coverage even further.

Once considered the principal home of boxing on UK television, Sky dropped pay-per-view fights earlier this year following a difficult 12 months with the format, and they only have three major contracts in their portfolio, with promoters Matchroom Sport, Frank Maloney, and Hatton Promotions.

Pay-per-view channel Primetime will screen Amir Khan’s next fight, along with several American bouts, in the coming months.

Veteran presenter Jim Rosenthal, who was involved with ITV’s Big Fight coverage for three decades, said, “This a truly exciting new venture and I’m delighted that I’ll be involved with BoxNation.

“Not only am I passionate about presenting at boxing events, but I’m also a big fan of the sport and I think this is great news for boxing fans everywhere.”

BoxNation’s line up of top bouts will mostly feature two live championship promotions from the UK and around the world each week, including:

• Liam Walsh v Paul Appleby – Commonwealth Super-Featherweight Title (Sep 30)
• Nathan Cleverly v Tony Bellew – WBO World Light-Heavyweight Title (Oct 15)
• Bernard Hopkins v Chad Dawson – WBC World Light-Heavyweight Title – (Oct 15)
• Rob Norton v TBC – British Cruiserweight Title (Oct 22)
• Marco Huck v Krystof Wlodarczyk – Cruiserweight Unification Fight (Oct 22)
• Frankie Gavin v Diego Gabriel Scaves – WBO Intercontinental Welterweight Title (Oct 28)
• Ricky Burns v Michael Katsidis – WBO Interim World Lightweight Title (Nov 5)
• George Groves v Paul Smith – British/Commonwealth Super Middleweight Title (Nov 5)
• Ryan Walsh v Liam Richards – English Super-Bantamweight Title (Nov 5)
• Mikkel Kessler v Robert Stieglitz – WBO Super-Middleweight Title (Nov 5)
• Lee Selby v John Simpson – British/Commonwealth Featherweight Title (Nov 18)

Major amateur tournaments, starting with the World Amateur Championships from Azerbaijan and the Royal Albert Hall Cup from London, will also feature extensively on the channel.

Richard Brooke, Chairman of BoxNation, said that BoxNation will provide coverage of all levels of boxing to a committed audience of fight fans.

“The key to the success of BoxNation will be its relationships with rights holders and so I am pleased to announce that BoxNation has agreed a long term, multi-fight content deal with Frank Warren, Britain’s best and most successful boxing promoter.”