Boxing on NBC
Boxing on NBC is the de facto title for NBC Sports' boxing television coverage.[1]
History
Gillette Cavalcade of Sports
The earliest incarnation of NBC's boxing telecasts could be traced back to 1944. Although technically, an anthology program, the Cavalcade of Sports was best known for Friday night boxing (from Madison Square Garden) on NBC from 1944 through 1960, and (after NBC decided against featuring boxing due to sensitivity over criminal allegations in the sport) then for several more years on ABC. When Cavalcade of Sports closed up shop on June 24, 1960 after a 14-year period, it marked the longest continuous run of any boxing program in television history.
Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena
Another boxing program called Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena aired on NBC during the same period (more specifically, from 1946–1948) as the Cavalcade of Sports.
Sportsworld and partnership with Telemundo
In 2003, NBC entered a joint venture with Telemundo and boxing promotional group Main Events.[2] On three consecutive Saturday afternoons - May 3, 10 and 17 - NBC Sports and Telemundo provided live coverage from the same Main Events-promoted boxing event. It marked the first time that NBC broadcast professional boxing since 1992, when Sportsworld[3][4][5] ended its run after 14 years.
The following year, NBC and Telemundo renewed their partnership with a series of five Saturday cards beginning April 17.[6]
NBC Sports Network's Fight Night
Beginning in 2006, when the NBC Sports Network was known as Versus, they began airing matches from Bob Arum's Top Rank group. Nick Charles was one of the announcers. In 2010, Versus broadcast the World Series of Boxing.
NBC Sports Network's Fight Night series premiered on January 21, 2012 from 2300 Arena in Philadelphia with Kenny Rice and trainer Freddie Roach on the call and Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated serving as reporter and researcher.
Premier Boxing Champions
In January 2015, NBC announced that Al Michaels would host ringside along with blow-by-blow man Marv Albert[7] and color commentator Sugar Ray Leonard for the PBC on NBC[8] Saturday night bouts. In partnership with Haymon Boxing,[9] NBC would televise 20 PBC on NBC events[10] (beginning on March 7[11]), including five to be shown in prime time on Saturday nights.
Commentators
- Marv Albert[12]
- Layla Ali
- Teddy Atlas - Atlas worked as boxing commentator for NBC's coverage of the Olympic Games in Sydney (2000), Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008).[13]
- Al Bernstein - In 1992 and 1996, he served as the boxing analyst for NBC's coverage of the Summer Olympic Games.
- Bob Costas[14][15]
- Dick Enberg
- Ray Forrest
- Jim Gray - Gray served as a reporter for NBC Sports coverage of Boxing at the 2008 Summer Olympics.[16]
- Sugar Ray Leonard
- Chris Mannix
- Wally Matthews[17]
- Al Michaels[18]
- Ferdie Pacheco - Pacheco moved on to become a television boxing analyst, working for NBC and Univision. He became Showtime's featured boxing analyst in the early 1980s and continued his association with that network until his retirement from TV in the late 1990s, covering many memorable fights along the way.
- Bob Papa - Papa has worked on NBC's coverage of the Olympics since 1992, as he covered boxing at the most recent Summer Olympics.
- Jimmy Powers
- Freddie Roach
- Kenny Rice
- Fred Roggin - He served as a host for NBC Sports coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics.[19]
- Tim Ryan
- Bob Stanton
See also
- The Contender
- Stroh Brewing Company - For many years Stroh had received little television exposure because of an agreement between the major networks and Anheuser-Busch and Miller Brewing Company which allowed the two top brewers exclusive advertising rights. Stroh fought the agreement and in 1983 was allotted advertising time on ABC's Monday Night Baseball, on two NBC boxing events, and on other popular U.S. television sports shows.
References
- ↑ Google Search - Boxing on NBC
- ↑ Everlast Will Sponsor NBC, Telemundo And Main Events Pro Boxing Television Series Archived March 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ SPORTS PEOPLE; Boxer Skips Bout - November 7, 1982
- ↑ Boxing a Weapon In TV Rating Game - July 13, 1982
- ↑ TV SPORTS; NBC Plans to Take Tougher Approach - March 9, 1988
- ↑ Boxing returns to NBC with 5-fight series
- ↑ Yoder, Matt (9 February 2015). "Marv Albert and Sugar Ray Leonard are NBC's boxing announcing team". Awful Announcing.
- ↑ Fang, Ken (15 February 2015). "NBC is bringing The Matrix to boxing … well, sort of". Awful Announcing.
- ↑ Abramson, Mitch (14 January 2015). "Al Haymon MIA as NBC announces new prime time boxing schedule". New York Daily News.
- ↑ Willis, George (15 January 2015). "Al Michaels to call top-notch boxing on NBC — who will watch?". New York Post.
- ↑ Yoder, Matt (9 March 2015). "Premier Boxing Champions debut on NBC in primetime a mixed bag in ratings". Awful Announcing.
- ↑ Iole, Kevin (1 March 2015). "How Marv Albert, 73, could help boxing regain traction with younger crowd". Yahoo Sports.
- ↑ Medium Well: Your NBC Olympics lineup - A blog on sports media, news and networks - baltimoresun.com
- ↑ Deitsch, Richard (30 March 2015). "Marv Albert, Al Michaels, Bob Costas to join forces for a broadcast". Sports Illustrated.
- ↑ Fang, Ken (1 April 2015). "Marv Albert, Bob Costas and Al Michaels to work together for the first time ever". Awful Announcing.
- ↑ Medium Well: Your NBC Olympics lineup - A blog on sports media, news and networks - baltimoresun.com
- ↑ BEST JOURNALISM—1) NBC's Olympic boxing coverage. Marv Albert, Ferdie Pacheco and Wally Matthews handled complex stories extraordinarily well.
- ↑ Casselberry, Ian (16 January 2015). "NBC brings boxing back to prime time, hosted by Al Michaels". Awful Announcing.
- ↑ Medium Well: Your NBC Olympics lineup - A blog on sports media, news and networks - baltimoresun.com