FIRST MAJOR UK EVENT FOR ITV AND PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS
James DeGale and Chris Eubank Jr will clash at London's O2 on 23 February in the first major UK event of the new deal between ITV and Haymon Sports' Premier Boxing Champions, it has been announced.
The Super Middleweight match, to be screened exclusively live on ITV Box Office, will take place against a backdrop of hostility between two fighters who have long made no secret of their mutual dislike and are relishing the prospect of settling their differences in the ring.
James DeGale has already fired off an opening shot in the direction of his opponent.
He said: "Really excited and looking forward to being back home to a fight of this magnitude.
"I believe Eubank doesn't have the pedigree, the size and skill to beat me.
"Eubank is a decent fighter but every time he has stepped up he has been found out. He has called my name for a long time so now I've finally got my chance to zip his lips."
Eubank Jr responded in kind, saying: "DeGale is going to get the schooling of his career. A good old-fashioned hiding."
Poxon Sport is the promoter of DeGale v Eubank Jr, as the exclusive promoter of all UK PBC events on ITV.
The fighters faced off at the Hotel Café Royal, in London, today [Thursday 3 January]. Live streaming of the press conference was hosted by ITV's Gabriel Clarke on the ITV Box Office Facebook page and Youtube channel.
Full details of the undercard and how to access this ITV Box Office PPV event across all platforms will be announced and made available in due course. For updated and further information, please go to www.itvboxoffice.com
Tickets for the fight go on sale on Friday 4 January at midday to O2 members and to the wider public at midday on Monday 7 January. Tickets available from www.AXS.com and Inner Ringside/VIP Hospitality from www.sportandmusic.co.uk.
News of the DeGale v Eubank Jr showdown follows the announcement at the end of December of two major world title fights to be shown free to air on ITV4 as part of the broad scope of the ITV and PBC deal. On Sunday, January 13, Jose Uzcategui defends his IBF Super Middleweight World Championship against unbeaten top challenger Caleb Plant. Coverage will come live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
The following weekend, on 19 January, ITV4's coverage will come live from Las Vegas where Manny Pacquiao will defend his WBA world welterweight title against Adrien Broner. The exclusive ITV4 coverage will also include the much-anticipated showdown between Badou Jack and Marcus Browne for the WBA Interim Light Heavyweight title.
Late last year, ITV announced a ground-breaking new deal with Haymon Sports and Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) to bring exclusive coverage of exciting PBC world-class boxing events to ITV viewers and fight fans in the UK.
The unique collaboration is the first time that Haymon Sports and PBC has partnered with a UK broadcaster to stage boxing events regularly in the UK. The exclusive three-year deal will guarantee a minimum of 15 televised events each year, drawing from PBC's unrivalled group of over 160 of the best boxers in the world, which includes more than 60 current and former world champions in matches staged both in the UK and the US. PBC, the sports' pre-eminent boxing brand, is broadcast over cable and network television in the United States.
The world-class action from events for the next three years will include free-to-air broadcasts on ITV's channels, including ITV main channel and ITV4 and ITV Hub, and will also include pay per views on ITV's PPV channel, ITV Box Office.
This new deal for boxing adds to ITV Sport's portfolio of first class events, which includes exclusive free to air coverage of the England football team's qualifiers for both the European Championship and World Cup, the 6 Nations and exclusive coverage of the Rugby World Cup, UK horse racing, the Tour de France and the French Open.
ENDS
About ITV
ITV is an integrated producer broadcaster and the largest commercial television network in the UK. It is the home of popular television from the biggest entertainment events, to original drama, major sport, landmark factual series and independent news. It operates a family of channels including ITV, ITVBe, ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4 and CITV, which are broadcast free-to- air. ITV is also focused on delivering its programming via the ITV Hub, mobile devices, video on demand and third party platforms. ITV Studios is a global production business, creating and selling programmes and formats from offices in the UK, US, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, the Nordics and the Netherlands. It is the largest and most successful commercial production company in the UK, the largest independent non-scripted indie in the US and ITV Studios Global Entertainment is a leading international distribution businesses.
About Premier Boxing Champions
The Premier Boxing Champions series was created and is produced by Haymon Sports, LLC. It features the most accomplished and decorated array of international professional boxing talent across the most popular weight divisions.
CONTACTS
Grant Cunningham for ITV on 07764 210742 [grant.cunningham@itv.com]
Tim Smith: Premier Boxing Champions (timothy@haymonboxing.com)
