Fight Network, the world’s premier multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, today announced it has launched on Channel 192 on SKY and Channel 161 on Freesat across the UK. Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp. is the parent company of both Impact Wrestling and Fight Network.
Fight Network will broadcast on Showcase TV in the UK starting at 9:00 p.m. every night. As well as being found on SKY and Freesat, Fight Network on Showcase TV can also be viewed online, by visiting www.information.tv/showcase and pressing play on the Showcase TV icon.
Some of the featured programming on Fight Network in the UK will include both wrestling and MMA shows:
- IMPACT Wrestling – Live weekly simulcast Fridays at 1:00 AM of IMPACT Wrestling’s flagship show with primetime repeats on Fridays and Saturdays at 9:00 p.m. IMPACT showcases top professional wrestling stars such as Austin Aries, Johnny Impact, Moose, Eli Drake, Pentagon Jr., Fenix, Rich Swann, Matt Sydal, Brian Cage, local UK stars such as Grado and Joe Hendry, the high-flying X-Division, plus the lovely and lethal Knockouts, including Su Yung, Rosemary, Allie, Madison Rayne and Tessa Blanchard.
- Xplosion – Weekly show from IMPACT Wrestling featuring exclusive matches only seen internationally, plus behind-the-scenes footage, original sitdown interviews and throwback matches highlighting memorable historical moments
- British Boot Camp – Series documenting the careers of British professional wrestlers seeking a contract with IMPACT Wrestling, that was aired in 2013 and 2014, featuring next-generation stars such as Rockstar Spud, Marty Scurll and Grado, as they train under the mentorship of legends such as Hulk Hogan and Sting.
- Wrestling at the Chase – Iconic professional wrestling series from St. Louis from the 1950s to 1980s, featuring past legends such as Ric Flair, Harley Race and Lou Thesz.
- Retrospective – Original Fight Network series highlighting combat sports fighters and personalities as they relive pivotal career moments.
- Ultimate Challenge MMA – Based in London, UCMMA is one of Europe’s leading MMA promotions. Events deliver a bigger, faster and tougher experience with all the drama, glory and full contact fighting that UK MMA fans demand.
- Abu Dhabi Grand Slam – Coverage of grappling events from the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, showcasing the best submission specialists in tournaments held around the world, including London.
- WGP Kickboxing – South America’s premier kickboxing league based in Brazil, featuring hard-hitting knockouts from some of the best strikers in the world.
Peter Einstein, COO of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp, the parent company of Fight Network and Impact Wrestling, is delighted to expand Fight Network in the UK: “The UK is rooted in combat sports tradition, producing many world champions and memorable personalities over the years.”
He added: “Our diverse programming line-up will showcase premium combat sports content from around the world while highlighting local stars and events, and we plan to bolster our schedule with more exciting content over the next few months.”
Ed Nordholm, president of Impact Wrestling, is happy to see the popular demand of having Impact on primetime granted: “Based on popular demand, we are excited to announce that Impact Wrestling fans in the UK can now watch our weekly show contemporaneous with its North American broadcast premiere, as well as replays in primetime”.
IMPACT also currently airs on 5Spike on Freeview on Fridays at 11 PM and will continue to. Fight Network is currently available on cable, satellite and digital platforms in the U.S., Canada and select countries in Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com.