EPIX® TO AIR FINAL FIGHT OF THE CONTENDER LIVE FROM LOS ANGELES
Two-Hour Live Episode of Mark Burnett’s Boxing Competition Series
From MGM Television and Paramount Television
Airs from the ‘Fabulous’ Forum Friday, November 9 at 10pm ET/7pm PT
LOS ANGELES – October 11, 2018 – On Friday, November 9 at 10pm ET/7pm PT, premium pay television network EPIX® will air the finale of The Contender live from the “Fabulous” Forum in Los Angeles. In the two-hour special episode, the final fight will showcase the end of a long journey for two fighters, one of whom will be crowned the new 160-pound middleweight champion of The Contender and awarded a $250,000 prize during the live finale.
Tickets will be available for purchase to the general public at Ticketmaster.com beginning Friday, October 12 at 12pm PT.
The two finalists will be revealed in the series’ last pre-taped episode, airing Friday, November 2 @ 9pm.
The 12-episode boxing competition series premiered Aug. 24, 2018 at 9 pm ET/PT and is hosted by undefeated boxing champion Andre “Son of God” Ward. The Contender is the first-of-its-kind documentary series on EPIX®, with the fights in each episode airing unedited and in their entirety throughout the season.
“Boxing goes hand-in-hand with premium television, and there’s no better way to experience the sport than by watching the drama unfold in real-time,” said Michael Wright, President, EPIX. “The Forum in Los Angeles has been home to some of boxing’s most preeminent fights. This opportunity gives the contenders the platform they deserve, and fight fans an adrenaline-filled, live experience they weren’t expecting.”
“There is nothing like live television when it comes to a boxing match and to have The Contender LIVE from the Forum is the perfect ending for this series.” said Burnett, Chairman of Worldwide Television Group, MGM.
The series highlights 16 fighters, divided into two teams that live and train together under the guidance of legendary boxing coach Freddie Roach and renowned Philadelphia trainer Naazim Richardson. Each week sees the fighters pushing their skills, strength and endurance as they prepare for their weekly elimination fights and the hopes of living out their boxing dreams.
The original Contender series ran for four seasons (2005-2009) and launched multiple fighters into contention for world titles, including title winners Sergio Mora, Cornelius Bundrage, Sakio Bika, and Sam Soliman.
Eric Van Wagenen serves as executive producer and showrunner of the revived franchise alongside Mark Burnett. The format is owned by MGM Television and Paramount Television.
EPIX is available nationwide through cable, satellite, telco and streaming TV providers including Charter Spectrum, Cox, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-verse, Dish Network, Sling, PlayStation Vue and Comcast.
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About MGM Television
MGM Television is an award-winning, leading producer and global distributor of premium content for television and digital platforms, with distribution rights to original productions and a robust catalogue of television episodes and feature film titles including such premiere entertainment franchises as James Bond, Rocky, Stargate and The Hobbit trilogy. Current scripted and unscripted projects include Fargo (FX); Vikings (HISTORY); The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu); Get Shorty (EPIX); Condor (AT&T AUDIENCE Network); The Voice (NBC); Survivor (CBS); Shark Tank (ABC); TKO: Total Knock Out (CBS); The Contender (EPIX); Beat Shazam (FOX); and Lucha Underground (The El Rey Network); and through its distribution entity, Orion TV Productions, the syndicated daytime courtroom series Lauren Lake’s Paternity Court and Couples Court with The Cutlers. In addition, MGM owns Evolution Media, producers of The Real Housewives of Orange County, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Vanderpump Rules, and Botched (E!); and Big Fish Entertainment, producers of A&E’s Live PD, the Black Ink Crew franchise for VH1, Live PD Presents: Women on Patrol for Lifetime and Hustle & Soul for WE TV. MGM’s television programming regularly airs in more than 100 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.mgm.com.
About EPIX
EPIX, an MGM company, is a premium television network delivering a broad line-up of quality original series and documentaries, the latest movie releases and classic film franchises – all available on TV, on demand, online and across devices. A destination for premium content, EPIX is tripling the amount of original programming on the network beginning in 2018, with a roster of original series including Get Shorty starring Chris O’Dowd and Ray Romano, spy thrillers Berlin Station and Deep State, the return of Mark Burnett’s boxing competition series The Contender and late night stand-up comedy series Unprotected Sets from executive producer Wanda Sykes. In 2019, the network will premiere new series Godfather of Harlem starring Forest Whitaker, Pennyworth, the origin story of Batman’s butler Alfred, from DC, and Our Lady, LTD starring Sir Ben Kingsley. Launched in October 2009, EPIX is available nationwide through cable, telco, satellite and emerging digital distribution platforms providing more movies than any other network with thousands of titles available for streaming.
For more information about EPIX, go to www.EPIX.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHd (http://www.twitter.com/EpixHD) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/EPIX), YouTube (http://youtube.com/EPIX), Instagram (http://instagram.com/EPIX) and Snapchat @EPIXTV.
About Paramount Television
Paramount Television is a leading studio, developing and financing a wide range of cutting-edge and entertaining television content across all media platforms for distribution worldwide. The studio’s robust slate includes Tom Clancy’s “Jack Ryan” (Amazon), “13 Reasons Why” (Netflix), “Maniac” (Netflix), “Berlin Station” (EPIX), “The Alienist” (TNT), “The Angel of Darkness” (TNT), “The Haunting of Hill House” (Netflix), “Catch-22” (Hulu), “First Wives Club” (Paramount Network), “Looking for Alaska” (Hulu), “Briarpatch” (USA), “Boomerang” (BET), “Shantaram” (Apple), “Defending Jacob” (Apple), “Dream Team” (BET), “The Contender” (EPIX) and “Snow Crash” (Amazon), among others. Paramount Television is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a subsidiary of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a global content company with premier television, film and digital entertainment brands.
About the Forum
The award-winning “Fabulous” Forum, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2018. The Forum, located in Inglewood, California, is the largest indoor performance venue in the country designed with a focus on music and entertainment, in addition to select sporting events. The interior of the bowl features flexible seating that ranges from 17,500 seats to 7,000 seats, enabling the venue to attract a wide variety of premier events. Fans at the Forum enjoy approximately 8,000 square feet of event level hospitality offerings, including merchandise, along with food and beverage options from some of SoCal’s most celebrated brands. A tinted glass wall separates this concession area from the arena, ensuring fans do not miss a moment of the performance. A 40,000 square foot outdoor terrace surrounds the perimeter of the building and offers food and beverage options, as well as comfortable furnishings, to further elevate guests’ enjoyment. The Forum delivers a one-of-a-kind experience for all thanks to its superior acoustics, intimate ambiance and state-of-the-art facilities. Designed with entertainers and performers in mind, the Forum includes nine, star-caliber dressing rooms that provide unparalleled comfort. The Forum is owned and operated by The Madison Square Garden Company. In addition to the Forum, The Madison Square Garden Company owns or operates Madison Square Garden, The Theater at MSG, Radio City Music Hall, the Chicago Theatre, the Wang Theatre, and the Beacon Theater. For more information on the Forum, please visit www.fabulousforum.com
Press Contacts:
Maureen Granados / EPIX
mgranados@epix.com / 646.933.9280
Christina Lee / MGM
clee@mgm.com / 310.449.3741
Jessica Rovins / Paramount Television
Jessica_rovins@paramount.com / 323.956.8265
Aubrey Siegel / Beck Media for EPIX
aubrey@beckmedia.com / 646.762.8702
Joe Favorito for EPIX
Maxie Solters / Scoop Marketing for the Forum