Setanta Sports to screen the biggest boxing fight of 2008
Exclusively live coverage of Calzaghe vs. Hopkins from Las Vegas
-Not available via pay per view. £9.99 a month. No annual contract required-
London, January 23, 2008: Setanta Sports has again demonstrated its commitment to boxing by announcing they have the exclusive broadcast rights for the fight of 2008 - Joe Calzaghe’s light-heavyweight contest against Bernard Hopkins on Saturday, April 19th from the Planet Hollywood Ring at the Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas.
The much-anticipated ‘super-fight’ will see the unbeaten Welshman fight in the USA for the first time. Calzaghe will also be stepping up a weight after his recent victory over Mikkel Kessler in November 2007, when he became undisputed super-middleweight champion, a fight shown exclusively live on Setanta Sports.
Hopkins, 43, is the former undisputed middleweight champion and the first boxer to ever unify the titles of all four major sanctioning bodies - WBO, WBA, WBC and IBF - when he defeated Oscar De La Hoya on September 18, 2004. Hopkins moved up to light heavyweight in June 2006 and last fought in July 2007 when he defeated Ronald "Winky" Wright. He and Calzaghe squared up at the MGM Grand hotel in December at the weigh-in for Ricky Hatton v Floyd Mayweather, sowing the seeds for another big British-US clash.
Setanta’s Director of Sport, Trevor East, commented: “This is the biggest fight of the year and we’re delighted that we’ve got it. Calzaghe vs. Hopkins comes on the back of nine other big fights Setanta has already secured this year, including Maccarinelli vs. Haye on March 8th, proving that Setanta Sports really is the home of boxing in 2008.”
Calzaghe vs. Hopkins is NOT available on a pay-per-view basis, but only to subscribers to Setanta Sports at £9.99 a month, with no annual contract required.
Existing Setanta customers will receive Calzaghe vs. Hopkins as part of their monthly subscription, reinforcing Setanta’s position as a non pay-per-view broadcaster of premium sports.
Setanta Sports is available for £9.99 a month to satellite viewers, via a Freeview box or integrated digital TV with a viewing card slot and on BT Vision and Tiscali. Virgin Media XL pack subscribers can see Setanta for no additional charge, whilst M and L pack subscribers can add the Setanta Sports Pack for just £9.99 per month.
For information on how to subscribe, go to: setanta.com or call 08712 10 20 30. Virgin Media, BT Vision and Tiscali customers should contact their operator.
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For more information: Call James Matheson or Richard Tompkins at braben on 020 7566 2990 or email james@braben.co.uk / richardt@braben.co.uk
Notes to editors:
Setanta Sports is a leading international pay-TV sports broadcaster operating nine channels in the UK, Ireland, North America and Australia. Founded in 1992, its premium sports content is available to more than 50 million digital homes worldwide.
Setanta operates more sports channels than any other broadcaster in the UK and Ireland. Setanta Sports is the most widely-available premium sports channel in the UK and is available to all digital homes: on satellite, via Freeview, Virgin Media, Tiscali, BT Vision and by Broadband, ensuring the widest possible distribution to all sports fans.
Setanta Sports is the only broadcaster of premium sports on digital terrestrial (Freeview). The Setanta Sports 1 channel, featuring the best of Setanta’s premium live content, is available on Freeview boxes and digital TVs with viewing card slots.
The Setanta Sports Pack is available to satellite and cable customers and is made up of the following channels:
Setanta Sports 1
Setanta Sports 2
Setanta Golf
Racing UK
Racing World*
NASN (North American Sports Network)*
Celtic TV
Rangers TV
LFC TV
Arsenal TV*
Setanta Sports is also available online, live and on demand, via Setanta by Broadband, featuring all Setanta’s leading content offered on Setanta Sports 1, Setanta Sports 2 and Setanta Golf, allowing sports fans to access at home, work or elsewhere.
For a full list of Setanta Sports’ exclusively live sporting content and fixture details, please visit www.setanta.com. Content includes Barclays Premier League football, Clydesdale Bank Premier League, Blue Square Premier, US PGA Golf, Live Magners League rugby, top-flight boxing, Ultimate Fighting Championship and action from some of Europe’s best football leagues. From 2008, Setanta’s exclusively live content will include the FA Cup, England international friendlies and 2010 World Cup qualifiers involving England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Setanta Sports is available from £9.99 a month, with no annual contract required. For the latest pricing offers on any platform, please visit www.setanta.com or call 08712 10 20 30.
Setanta Sports is also joint owner with Virgin Media of Setanta Sports News, the new 24-hour sports news channel, available free-to-air on the Virgin Media platform, and also on satellite, covering all the top sports stories from the UK and abroad. Setanta Sports News provides viewers with the breaking sports headlines that matter every 20 minutes, delivered by a pool of presenters and multi-skilled reporters in the field, as well as supported by regular views and opinions from fan correspondents across the UK. Setanta Sports News EPG number on Virgin Media is 518. The satellite EPG number is 435.
*not available to Virgin Media customers