Broadcasting veterans Fred Hickman and Fran Charles will be teamed with current boxer Austin Trout on Bounce TV’s “Premier Boxing Champions -- The Next Round,” which launches Aug. 2 at 9:00pm ET. Formerly with CNN and ESPN, Hickman will serve as the show’s anchor, and Charles, who has had stints on NFL Network and MLB Network, will be ringside on play-by-play. Trout will provide analysis from ringside. The show’s main event will be a Bantamweight championship fight between Juan Carlos Payano and Rau’shee Warren (John Ourand, Staff Writer).
AMERICA'S TEAM: In Chicago, Dan Cahill noted the NHL released its national broadcasting schedule yesterday, and the Blackhawks "will have a league-high 21 games" on either NBC or NBCSN. The Stanley Cup winners will have a "league-maximum 12" games exclusively on NBC. The Flyers and Penguins "have the next-most appearances with 18," with the Senators, Jets, Canucks and Flames do not have any (SUNTIMES.com, 7/27). Meanwhile, NBC will air both the Canadiens-Bruins Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic from Gillette Stadium on Jan. 1, as well as the two Coors Light NHL Stadium Series games -- Blackhawks-Wild on Feb. 21 at TCF Bank Stadium and Red Wings-Avalanche from Coors Field on Feb. 27 (NBC).
THE SOUNDS OF SUMMER: The Rays announced they have signed a multiyear extension with iHeart Media that will keep games on WDAE-AM and its FM simulcast station. The team has partnered with iHeart Media since it joined MLB in '99 (Rays).
