BET Partners With Roc Nation Sports For Series Of Boxing Telecasts Beginning In June

BET “has partnered with Roc Nation Sports to air up to nine live, two-hour telecasts of boxing events in the next 18 months,” with the first event set for June 20 at Oracle Arena, according to Frazier Moore of the AP. The network "promises the new program will 'stretch the boundaries of the sport.'" The "action inside the ring will be supplemented with a live musical performance as well as a DJ." It is a "package of elements branded 'throne boxing'" by Roc Nation Sports Founder Jay Z. BET President of Original Programming Stephen Hill said, "It's more than just boxing, it's more than a sporting event, and that's why we went into it." Hill added, "We hope the numbers will show that viewers want more. And once we find there's an interest, we'll pull this thread as far as it can go." He said that other sports "might also be in the cards." Hill: "We want to present sports you're familiar with, in new ways" (AP, 4/23).