The World Boxing Council (WBC) and VIVE Network are working in unison to present to the world the first-of-its-kind, round-the-clock all-professional boxing channel, WBC LIVE. The entertainment hub will debut in May 2021 and will for the most part stream free to connected devices worldwide predominantly in Ultra high definition, high dynamic range. Programming will include weekly commentary shows, such as WBC Talks and, In The Ring, as well as plenty of promotional content profiling upcoming fight cards and athletes.

As the pandemic of 2020 all but annihilated live sports, it served as the single greatest impetus for this massive undertaking. WBC and VIVE stepped into the professional promoters’ and athletes’ corner with a strategy to counter-punch venue closures and lost ticket sales. Backed by world-class broadcast and technology partners, WBC LIVE will empower promoters to stream and monetize more fight cards – both title and non-title bouts in various divisions and duration – than ever in the highest quality without the cost prohibitive production price tag. VIVE Network has devised a plan to employ virtual production. The goal is to level the playing field for promoters of all scales by providing a platform to expose their talent in a more accessible setting and propel their professional careers.

The linear channel will appeal to sports fans with an appetite for premium broadcast events who own the multi-millions of UHD HDR-capable displays, yet have scarce access to UHD HDR entertainment. Fight fans around the globe eager to witness the action will be able to access VIVE’s free downloadable app available via various app ecosystems, including Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google TV (Android TV), Roku Channel Store, and Smart TVs.

“Our mission is to provide professional boxing athletes and promoters the means to combat hindrances and sustain their livelihoods,” says John Jacaman, VIVE Network Director. “It’s the biggest thing to happen to the sport of professional boxing in years.”

“We are very excited to accomplish the dream that my father, José Sulaimán, pursued for many years: to spread the talent of young boxers from around the world, through the WBC Channel. Today, more than ever, we need to support promoters with innovative schemes within the WBC global platform.,” says Mauricio Sulaiman, World Boxing Council President.

This joint initiative, known as WBC Consortium, will not only benefit the sport of boxing, but also its fans universally. Athletes and promoters keen to learn more about leveraging the universal live event platform, tapping into its collective audiences, and consequently expanding their notoriety and earning potential should contact [email protected] at WBC. Broadcast outlets seeking consistent, high-quality professional boxing syndication should contact VIVE Network directly.