Front Row Challenges Sky With PPV Boxing Service

Pay-per-view (PPV) cable company, Front Row, has stepped up the fight to win viewers through PPV sports broadcasts with the launch of a new boxing service. Until now, the company’s main product has been in providing PPV films.

The service kicks off on 16 January with live coverage of Mike Tyson’s comeback fight. Following this on 20 February there is coverage of seven title fights including Cornelius Carr’s challenge with Simon Brown for the WBF middleweight title.

The rights to broadcast the matches were subscontracted by Front Row from digital terrestrial broadcaster, ONdigtital. However, the same live broadcasts will be available for free to subscribers to ONdigital’s channels.

Front Row is jointly owned by cable companies Telewest and NTL and the boxing service will be shown in these homes. According to latest ITC data, the service should therefore be available to over one million homes. The service is set to compete with Sky Sports and Sky Box Office and is described by Front Row as ‘milestone’ in the cable industry’s drive to increase the volume of original programming. Latest figures from BARB show that Sky Sports 1 drew a 2.3% share of viewing in cable and satellite homes.

Front Row’s chief executive, Andy Birchall, said: “This is a straight up, great value TV service appealing to both boxing fans and sports enthusiasts in general. Each programme will be live and will feature a full bill of quality, title fights, mainly involving British and Irish boxers, and we’re going to get away from the tired old commentary format of suits sitting around a coffee table.”

The Tyson fight will be charged at £12.95 and the bouts on 20 February will cost £4.99. Front Row says that subsequent matches will be charged at between £5.00 and £13.00.

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Front Row: 0171 323 1880