ESPN, ABC Reach Multi-Year Agreement to Televise Premier Boxing Champions Series

Premier Boxing Champions will replace ESPN’s longstanding Friday Night Fights series with the news that Al Haymon’s PBC has reached a multi-year deal with “The Worldwide Leader in Sports.”

The announcement was made on Wednesday via press release. The first of 12 two-hour events -- aptly titled PBC on ESPN -- begin Saturday, July 11, at 9 p.m. ET.

ESPN telecasts will air in primetime, while cards on ABC will take place on Saturday afternoons. More details regarding PBC on ABC will be revealed in the future, along with which fighters will compete on the show’s debut.

“ESPN has a long history of carrying world-class boxing events and the new Premier Boxing Champions series continues our commitment to the sport with premier-level primetime fights previously only available on premium cable networks,” said John Skipper, ESPN president.

PBC on ESPN telecasts will retain blow-by-blow commentator Joe Tessitore and analyst Teddy Atlas. Weigh-ins will air on the free streaming service ESPN 3, along with preliminary bouts.

The move now means that Premier Boxing Champions is providing content for CBS, NBC, ESPN, and Spike.