"Friday Night Fights" Ending As ESPN/ABC Will Add "Premier Boxing Champions"

ESPN and ABC yesterday said that “Premier Boxing Champions” would “air a dozen two-hour live shows” on the nets annually, according to Bob Velin of USA TODAY. The series will replace ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights,” which “televises its last show May 22.” ESPN’s first “PBC” show “will air July 11.” ESPN and ABC are joining NBC, CBS and their affiliates “in airing” the “PBC” fights (USA TODAY, 3/18). Meanwhile, ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael noted Spike TV’s “PBC” telecast on Friday drew 869,000 viewers, marking the “most-watched Friday night boxing event" since the January 12, 2007, on ESPN2. Friday’s audience “more than doubled" ESPN2’s "FNF" average of 403,000 viewers in '14 (ESPN.com, 3/16).