Showtime Sets May Deontay Wilder Fight

Showtime on May 18 will telecast heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder’s bout against Dominic Breazeale.

The fight, for Wilder’s WBC title belt, will the champion’s second fight following his January PPV bout against Tyson Fury, which ended in a draw. That fight drew a reported 325,000 PPV buys.

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“It was critical for Deontay, for the sport and his fans, that this fight be available not on pay-per-view, but on Showtime,” said Stephen Espinoza, Showtime president of sports & event programming in a statement. “Showtime is where this fight belongs. We’re the home of the biggest fights and best talents, month in and month out. This is where a heavyweight title fight belongs.”

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.