LOS ANGELES: US boxing promoter Golden Boy Promotions has announced a partnership with social media giant Facebook. As per the deal, Facebook Watch will stream its live fight nights free of cost for fans across the globe.
The first of the five live fight nights on Facebook will take place on August 11 and will feature Jesus Rojas taking on Joseph Diaz Jr in his WBA World Featherweight title defence at the Avalon Theater in Hollywood.
The second live fight will feature light heavyweight contender Sullivan Barrera on August 18 from the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
“This game-changing deal for the sport of boxing places Golden Boy Promotions and its stable of fighters at the intersection of live sports mega-casting and ultimate fan engagement. Our team is now positioned to present world-class boxing from Silicon Valley, to Madison Avenue, to Hollywood and to the rest of the world. The reach of Facebook is just incredible, and our sponsorship conversations will truly resonate with brands across all categories,” said Oscar De La Hoya, chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions.
De La Hoya will also serve as the executive producer as Golden Boy Media and Entertainment will be the production entity of the live fights, delivering original programming for presenting the sport to Facebook’s worldwide audience. The live broadcasts are expected to encourage real-time fan interaction as well.
It will also be featuring strategic shoulder programming such as rebroadcasts of past fights featuring commentary from the boxers themselves. Shoulder programming will also feature major celebrities, prominent influencers, and top-tier boxing authorities from print, TV and the internet. The debut episode of this complementary content will be on July 13, with details to be announced.
“We’re thrilled to team with Golden Boy Promotions to make Facebook a home for championship-caliber boxing this year,” said Devi Mahadevia, North America Live Sports Programming Lead at Facebook.
“Through this unique partnership, a global community of sports fans will have free access to some of boxing’s most exciting live bouts and be able to interact with the action like never before.”
