ESPN’s annual ESPY Awards will air on ABC this year. In other news, a pair of new boxing series are set to debut on TruTV and BET, and SportsCenter will go on-site for the Floyd Mayweather/Manny Pacquiao fight.
ESPY Awards Move to ABC
- The ESPY Awards, ESPN’s annual awards show, will air live in primetime on ABC Wednesday, July 15 — the first time the show has aired on the network. As one would expect given the name, the ESPYs have aired on ESPN each year dating back to its inception. ESPN will still air two hours of ‘pregame’ coverage prior to the show. (ESPN Media Zone)
TruTV, BET, Set to Debut Separate Boxing Series
- Turner Sports and corporate sibling HBO Sports have partnered with Top Rank to present a new boxing series on TruTV. Titled Friday Night Knockout, the new series will debut with a pair of bouts on May 1 and another pair on May 8. BET, meanwhile, has partnered with Jay Z-backed Roc Nation to air a yet-unnamed boxing series set to debut in June. The network plans to carry nine telecasts through the next 18 months. (Turner Sports; AP via Sports Business Daily)
SportsCenter to Go On-Site For Mayweather/Pacquiao
- ESPN will present extensive studio coverage surrounding the May 2 Floyd Mayweather/Manny Pacquiao boxing match, including on-site editions of SportsCenter from Las Vegas. A rotation of eight SportsCenter anchors and Joe Tessitore will anchor those editions of the show. Numerous other ESPN personnel will contribute to the coverage, including reporters Josina Anderson and Jeremy Schaap, and even NBA analysts Chauncey Billups and Tim Legler. (ESPN Media Zone)
