TV 2 Denmark and Sauerland Promotion are delighted to announce they have signed a long-term TV contract to lift Danish professional boxing to a new level. In the future, TV 2 and Sauerland Promotion will exclusively present between four and six “TV 2 Fight Nights” per year on prime time on Saturday night. Today Kalle Sauerland, Chris Meyer and TV 2 Head of Sports Frederik Lauesen presented the ground-breaking concept during a press conference in Copenhagen..
“This is a historic day and great news for Danish boxing fans,” Kalle Sauerland said. “There is so much interest in boxing in Denmark. We are thrilled to have found a strong partner to present high-class boxing on free-to-air TV on a regular basis. The future certainly is bright for our Danish boxers and all boxing fans.”
Sauerland shared the podium with the four fighters who will make regular appearances on the TV 2 Fight Nights. Former world title contender and European champion Rudy Markussen (33-2, 20 KOs), 22-year-old lightweight hopefuls Kim Poulsen (12-1, 3 KOs) and Kaspar Bruun (5-0, 2 KOs) as well as middleweight talent Patrick Nielsen (2-0, 2 KOs) will all be in action. They will be joined by former world title challenger Vinni Skovgaard, who lost to WBA/WBC female welterweight champion Cecilia Braekhus in March 2009. Chris Meyer is convinced the regular shows will create a new Danish superstar. “This is a great platform for the athletes to prove themselves in the ring and make themselves known all over Denmark,” he said. “Unfortunately, Danish boxing has been lacking regular TV presence over the last couple of years so we are very happy to make a change.”
Meyer said the Fight Night concept fits well into Sauerland´s global strategy. “After the signing of Mikkel Kessler, who is fighting the world´s best fighters in the Super Six Tournament, we were looking to further expand our activities in the Danish market,” he added. “As Europe´s leading promoters, we have a lot of know-how when it comes down to the successful promotion of boxers, events and series. There is so much interest in boxing in Denmark and together with TV2 we will live up to the high expectations and deliver first-class shows. This cooperation will bring out the best in Danish professional boxing.”
While Kessler´s Super Six fights are exclusively shown on private TV station Viasat, TV 2 is a free-to-air channel that has recorded sensational viewing figures with boxing shows. Kessler´s WBA Title Defence against Gusmyr Perdomo drew a peak market share of 72 percent in September 2009, while King Arthur Abraham´s Super Six opening victory over Jermain Taylor recorded 37 percent one month later. “There is so much interest in boxing in Denmark,” said Frederik Lauesen, Head of Sports at TV. “We look forward to working with Sauerland Promotion to deliver high-class boxing and high-class entertainment during prime time on Saturday night in the next couple of years. The TV 2 Fight series will lift professional boxing to a new level in Denmark.”