BoxNation has united with Premier Sports as part of a new combination that will seek to elevate boxing coverage in the UK, offering both channels to both platform’s subscribers as part of their existing subscription.
The bundling of the channels will initially happen on the Sky platform with others to follow, UK boxing fans will have optimism the collaboration serves to stop a repeat of last year’s coverage woes when a plethora of top bouts from the US went without a UK broadcasting partner.
George Warren, major shareholder of BoxNation commented: “This is great news for BoxNation subscribers. As part of their monthly subscription they will now enjoy access to Premier Sports fantastic properties, including Serie A, NHL, Guinness PRO14 and of course LaLiga, alongside an enhanced schedule of great live fights from around the World.
“The added value created for customers from the Premier Sports deal means BoxNation will continue to deliver its loyal customers fantastic live boxing content on the only dedicated boxing channel in the U.K.”
Four events are already confirmed with live events beginning on January 11th with Claressa Shields and Ivana Habazin headlining the first Showtime boxing event of 2020. On January 18th, BoxNation will air the 250th edition of ShoBox In the 10-round main event, Vladimir Shishkin (9-0, 6 KOs), the fast-rising super middleweight prospect currently ranked as the WBC No. 12 contender, will return for his second consecutive test on ShoBox against the unbeaten Ulises Sierra.
As well as this, two further events in January from Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) will be broadcast on the platforms. First up on January 19th Julian Williams defends his WBA and IBF 154-pound titles in a Philadelphia homecoming bout against Jeison Rosario.
The following week on January 25th, former Amir Khan conqueror and two-Division World Champion Danny “Swift” García returns to the ring at his home away from home at Barclays Center in Brooklyn to take on hard-hitting slugger Ivan “El Terrible” Redkach in a 12-round eliminator for Errol Spence Jr’s WBC Welterweight Title crown..
Premier Sports will be actively looking to increase live content on BoxNation with discussions underway to secure long term output agreements with PBC, Top Rank and Golden Boy along with a number of small hall UK promoters.
Richard Sweeney, CEO of Premier Sports added: “We are delighted to partner with BoxNation in 2020 giving more added value to our subscribers already enjoying LaLigaTV as well as the other great content on our channels. We look forward to once again making BoxNation a must have channel for fight fans in the UK.”
From early February, BoxNation will be available free of charge to current Premier Sports customers on Sky, Virgin TV and the Premier Player. Customers subscribed to BoxNation via Sky and Virgin TV will automatically get free access to Premier Sports 1, 2 and LaLigaTV.
BoxNation will remain part of BT Sport’s channel pack and available to all BT Sport customers who subscribe via the Sky platform, this package will not give current customers access to Premier Sports channels.
Insider Insight: This news represents a major boost for UK boxing fans, in a partnership that’s affordable and seemingly beneficial, the much maligned lack of appetite for US boxing from UK broadcasters is hopefully set to be left in 2019.
Whilst both Sky and BT do a fantastic job in terms of boxing coverage, last year some of the biggest names in the sports such as the Jermell Charlo, Oleksandr Gvozdyk and Artur Beterbiev had key events that went without a UK broadcaster, something that with this deal will hopefully be avoided in the year ahead.
