Golden Boy Boxing Coming to ESPN

Good news for boxing fans, as sports platform provider ESPN will be more heavy into boxing.  Oscar De La Hoya and ESPN fashioned a deal that will give more content to fans who have been missing Friday Night Fights.

As per GB exec Eric Gomez, their shows will take place all over the country. And when they coming to NY. “Soon,” Gomez said.

And will the Tess and Teddy team continue on the GB series?

“ESPN will pick announce team, not sure who they will use,” Gomez said.

I reached out Teddy Atlas. Will he and Tess be doing this series, as they do the PBC on ESPN dates? “I don’t know,” Atlas admitted.

Regarding this element of a story written by Dan Rafael of ESPN…

…Gomez told me he’s heard chatter, that this was a Al Haymon style time buy.

NO, he said. “This is not a time buy,” he iterated.

So Dan said it’s not a time buy. But that the sponsor will lay out funds to produce. His wording indicates ESPN puts in NO FUNDS at all.

“Nope, wrong,” Gomez replied.  “We are getting paid.”

So ESPN is paying for the product?

“Yes. Can’t disclose exact details,” said Gomez.

My take: This is not a meaningless issue, or just inside baseball. If the model is flipped and permanently so, and platforms and broadcasters think they have such leverage that providing their platform is of more value than the content, then what message is sent about the value of said content? I’m thinking the “old” model, where rights fees are paid by the televisers, is still viable and not in need of changing.

Here is the release:

ESPN and Golden Boy Promotions today announced a multi-year, international agreement for a series of fights to be televised live on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. The first fight, from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California, is March 23. Fighters on the card will be announced soon.

“We are excited to announce this new agreement with Golden Boy Promotions, one of the world’s top promoters,” said Burke Magnus, executive vice president, programming and scheduling at ESPN. “ESPN and ESPN Deportes look forward to featuring a new series of exciting world-class matches, along with a deep and wide variety of studio and digital content, in this multi-year, exclusive live-fight package.

In the first year of the deal, ESPN will televise 18 fight cards throughout the U.S., in both English and Spanish, and on its wholly-owned and affiliated networks in Latin America, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia and parts of Asia.

“ESPN is a flagship network with a history of showcasing and bringing audiences into the world of boxing, making this deal a natural fit for Golden Boy Promotions,” said Oscar De La Hoya, chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Having worked with ESPN in the past, we know first-hand that its multiple TV and digital platforms represent a must-watch for casual and die-hard sports fans. I’m thrilled that Golden Boy’s talented stable of fighters will be showcased before a wide audience who will have the opportunity to watch and follow the sports’ current and future world champions.”

“From the moment Tecate partnered with Golden Boy in 2016, our mandate has been to bring fight fans closer to the action which has included interactive Fan Fests before major bouts and the immersive Bold Punch app,” said Gustavo Guerra, Tecate Brand Director. “Now we’re excited to play an integral role in giving fans more access to an incredible stable of boxing talent through Golden Boy Fight Night on ESPN.”

In addition to in-the-ring action, ESPN will also feature Golden Boy Media and Entertainment content on multiple platforms, including:

· Golden Boy’s Classic Fight Library
· In the Ring, half-hour interviews with a range of fighters
· Mano-A-Mano, an original half-hour series featuring fighter training
· The Ring TV Express, three-minute highlights of full fights
· Podcasts hosted by Oscar De La Hoya and other Golden Boy talent

“Boxing fans are always looking for new, dynamic content, and this alliance will give fans fresh and original programming across the most well-known platform in the sports world,” said David Tetreault, Executive Vice President of Media and Entertainment for Golden Boy Promotions.

GOLDEN BOY BOXING ON ESPN
Date
Network
3/23/2017
ESPN2 & ESPN Deportes
4/1/2017
ESPN2 & ESPN Deportes
4/20/2017
ESPN2 & ESPN Deportes
5/5/2017
ESPN2 & ESPN Deportes
5/18/2017
ESPN2 & ESPN Deportes
6/17/2017
ESPN Deportes
6/30/2017
ESPN Deportes
7/7/2017
ESPN Deportes
7/15/2017
ESPN2 & ESPN Deportes
8/4/2017
ESPN2 & ESPN Deportes
8/18/2017
ESPN Deportes
9/15/2017
ESPN Deportes
9/30/2017
ESPN Deportes
10/19/2017
ESPN2 & ESPN Deportes
11/2/2017
ESPN2 & ESPN Deportes
11/16/2017
ESPN2 & ESPN Deportes
11/30/2017
ESPN2 & ESPN Deportes
12/14/2017
ESPN2 & ESPN Deportes