The schedule at NBC Sports Network after January 2 is filling up rather nicely. We know about the NHL from Monday through Wednesday. There’s college hockey on Friday nights. Horse racing in the spring and summer. And just announced today, a quarterly boxing series that will air on Saturday nights beginning in January.
NBC Sports will work with Main Events to come up with four boxing cards a year. The first one will be held in Philadelphia. Subsequent boxing cards will be held in markets served by a Comcast SportsNet regional sports network. So you can expect future cards perhaps in Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Washington, DC and even Houston when that RSN begins operation.
We have the full details of the new series below.
NBC SPORTS GROUP PRESENTS FIGHT NIGHT BOXING SERIES
Quarterly Boxing Matches Saturday Nights on NBC Sports Network
Series Debuts Saturday, January 21, 2012 from Philadelphia
Main Events To Coordinate Multi-Promoter Strategy with Hall-of-Fame Matchmaker J Russell PeltzNEW YORK – November 22, 2011 – NBC Sports Group announced today the formation of NBC Sports Network Fight Night, a boxing series featuring premier boxing talent. Fight Night will debut on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012 on the NBC Sports Network (which will be renamed from VERSUS on Jan. 2, 2012), from Asylum Arena in Philadelphia, Pa. The Fight Night cards are being scheduled in cities that are served by a Comcast Sports Group regional network, and the regional networks will help promote the events and have the ability to re-air fights.
NBC Sports Group will work with Main Events and Hall-of-Fame matchmaker J Russell Peltz on a multi-promoter strategy for NBC Sports Network Fight Night designed to produce the best quality fights. It is a strategy in which any promoter can participate to get their boxers involved in these programs.
“This is a unique approach to have multiple promoters competing to put fights on NBC Sports Network,” said Jon Miller, President, programming, NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network. “That, coupled with the legendary matchmaker J Russell Peltz serving as our quality control expert, ensures that boxing fans will enjoy exciting and competitive matches.”
“We are reaching out to all promoters to get involved in the series, and our priority is simply to make exciting fights. We don’t care who brings the fighters,” said Kathy Duva, president, Main Events. “We expect that multiple promoters will be involved in each of the Fight Night programs. All fighters who are willing to further their careers by engaging in compelling, interesting, meaningful matches are welcome.”
“Fights in this series will be solid, competitive and exciting,” said Peltz. “Borrowing the philosophy of the late Madison Square Garden matchmaker Teddy Brenner, my bouts will be made on the following criteria: Do the fighters’ styles mesh to make an exciting fight? Does this fight lead to something? And would I buy a ticket to it? These should be good fights for boxing fans.”
NBC SPORTS NETWORK FIGHT NIGHT SCHEDULE (All Times ET)
Saturday, January 21, 9-11 p.m. – Philadelphia
Saturday, March 24, 10 p.m.-Midnight – Site TBA
Saturday, June 16, 9-11 p.m. – Site TBA
Saturday, December 8, 9-11 p.m. – Site TBA
That’s it.
