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TONIGHT ON INSIDE THE NFL: ARE THE STEELERS AND TITANS AFC TITLE CONTENDERS?

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Plus, Bill Belichick is Wired for Sound; Tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME®

NEW YORK – October 20, 2020 – Emmy® Award-winning studio show INSIDE THE NFL continues tonight, Tuesday, October 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME as host James Brown is joined by analysts Phil Simms, Brandon Marshall and Ray Lewis in-studio. The cast debates whether or not the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans are realistic contenders to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LV. Plus, NFL Senior Writer Judy Battista joins the show to discuss what various coaching staffs, including the Mike Vrabel-led Titans, are doing to find an edge as the game evolves.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson are wired for sound. Click HERE for a clip of Jefferson.

For more information about INSIDE THE NFL, visit SHO.com, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and join the conversation using #INSIDETHENFL.

Following are excerpts from this week’s episode:

On the Pittsburgh Steelers…

Simms – “The Pittsburgh Steelers, are they a contender to get in the Championship Game and Super Bowl? Right now, yes, I think they are. Their defense is good. It’s deep. They’re fast. Speed does a lot of things for you. It allows you to blitz, which they are. But speed usually means you’re a really good tackling team. A good offensive line…They all of a sudden got another great group of wide receivers, and Ben Roethlisberger is throwing the ball well.”

On coaches using the rule book to their advantage…

Battista – “Mike Vrabel is the new master at knowing the rule book. We’ve always known Bill Belichick is the master at it. Mike Vrabel, not surprisingly, played for Belichick and learned a few things from the master at knowing the rule book, knowing the loopholes, how you can exploit them for your team’s advantage.”

On having a coach dedicated to situational football and clock management…

Marshall – “I think that coaches are smarter and the coaches that get it have someone on their staff that can walk them through different [situations]…If I was a head coach, I would embrace it. I would pay someone a million bucks to be in the booth and be in my ear to walk me through.”

On analytics in coaching…

Battista – “It’s just another piece of information to synthesize and for coaches to use. But don’t forget, coaches are looking at the team. Ron Rivera went for two. It failed, but what he said after the game was really important. He said you don’t learn to win until you play to win. They’re also considering the emotional impact on a team.”

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Jamie Foxx Is Featured Guest On ALL THE SMOKE WITH MATT BARNES AND STEPHEN JACKSON

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Academy Award® and Grammy® award-winning actor and musician Jamie Foxx is the featured guest on this week’s episode of ALL THE SMOKE WITH MATT BARNES AND STEPHEN JACKSON. The episode was pre-recorded on April 23.

The multi-faceted entertainer opens up about his role in Just Mercy, the importance of social justice and how racism has personally affected his life. Foxx also discusses his career, from starring in In Living Color and The Jamie Foxx Show in the 90’s to his successes on the big screen including Ray, Ali, Django Unchained, and his upcoming film in which he will portray Mike Tyson.

In the lively interview, Foxx performs a variety of impersonations throughout and shares stories about recording a song with Kanye West, performing alongside Alicia Keys and acting with Leonardo DiCaprio. Foxx also discusses his sports fandom and days as a high school football player.

The episode is available now in video and audio formats on the SHOWTIME Basketball YouTube channel and on major podcast platforms including via the RADIO.COM app.

Please find quote highlights from the episode below.

On social justice and racial equality…

Foxx – “The one thing about social media, what it has done is pulled up the carpet. It lets us see something that we’ve known about for a long time. The sincerity in the racism. Now it’s wide open … The mayor of Georgia just posted these terrible words that someone DM’ed her…We’ve known about this for all our lives. Now, we’re dealing with it face to face.”

Foxx – “It’s important that we don’t get exhausted … Injustice will always rear its ugly head in the most inopportune times. Look at it now, we’re dealing with COVID and who are going to be the ones who are going to suffer the worst? We are. Because of the injustice. Because of the way we’re structured in society.”

On Al Pacino’s speech in Any Given Sunday…

Foxx – “Everybody remembers the Al Pacino speech, right? Here’s a fun fact. Al Pacino was having a tough time with that speech, because he ain’t never been around football. I knew football. So when he was trying to get that speech off, I said, ‘Hey Al, when you’re talking to these players, they’re not your players. They’re your family.’ I said ‘A lot of these players come from the hood, their only father is you so you’ve got to talk to them like it’s their father.’” 

On being a supporting actor to Will Smith in Ali…

Foxx – “I always give props to Will Smith. He wanted me to play Bundini Brown in Ali… But I wouldn’t have had that opportunity had he not told the director, ‘Yo, I’m rocking with Foxx or I don’t do the film.’ Yeah, it’s big. That don’t happen in Hollywood. That don’t happen in our business…Being those characters alongside those guys, I wanted to be that Scottie Pippen. I wanted to be that person because I knew that if Will Smith is doing Ali, especially with Ali because it was so important and Will was such a big star and is such a big star, I was there to make sure that he didn’t have to worry about what I was doing. [That] part of the movie was going to be solid.”

On his upcoming movie portraying Mike Tyson…

Foxx – “I’ve watched Mike his whole career. And then I watched the good, the great, the bad and the ugly, and now this Mike. And so, I said, ‘Mike, you have to let me embody you. You have to let me tell your story.’ And so now, Martin Scorsese, who hasn’t done a boxing movie since Raging Bull has agreed to take on the helm. When we were talking about the movie, I said ‘What’s interesting about Mike is not the ring, it’s the Mike that we see now.’”

“INSIDE THE NFL” OPENS 10TH SEASON ON SHOWTIME AND 40TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON OF LEGENDARY SERIES WITH THE ADDITION OF TWO-TIME SUPER BOWL CHAMPION TO AWARD-WINNING ROSTER

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“INSIDE THE NFL” OPENS 10TH SEASON ON SHOWTIME AND 40TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON OF LEGENDARY SERIES WITH THE ADDITION OF TWO-TIME SUPER BOWL CHAMPION TO AWARD-WINNING ROSTER

 

Watch Promo Spot Ahead Of Season Premiere On

Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT On SHOWTIME®

YOUTUBE: http://s.sho.com/2x4RAzs

 

FOR BROADCAST OUTLETS: https://we.tl/FF6O8WnX6M

 

 

The legendary series INSIDE THE NFL is set to open its 40th season with the addition of two-time Super Bowl Champion and 17-year veteran NFL linebacker Ray Lewis. Lewis joins analysts Phil Simms, a two-time Super Bowl Champion, and Boomer Esiason, 1988 NFL MVP, along with Sports Emmy® Award winning host James Brown when the season premieres Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. 

The Sports Emmy® Award winning show, entering its 10th season on SHOWTIME, will be followed by the season premiere of the all-access documentary series A SEASON WITH NAVY FOOTBALL at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Weekly episodes covering every game with trademark highlights from NFL Films, special in-depth features and spirited debate on the game’s hottest topics will air every Tuesday night throughout the NFL season on SHOWTIME. 

“Ever since I was a kid watching Nick Buoniconti and Len Dawson, I knew I wanted to be a part of INSIDE THE NFL,” Lewis said. “For this to happen now it’s truly a dream come true. I can’t wait to get this season started, and I look forward to working with my new teammates Boomer, Phil and JB. Let the fun begin!” 

Broadcast and online clip restrictions: News outlets are cleared to use the INSIDE THE NFL clip on broadcast and digital platforms. Broadcast outlets must reference INSIDE THE NFL and SHOWTIME verbally. Digital outlets must reference INSIDE THE NFL and SHOWTIME in the accompanying copy or graphically over the footage.

For more information about INSIDE THE NFL, visit SHO.com, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and join the conversation using #INSIDETHENFL.

 

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About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Apple®, Roku®, Amazon, Google, Xbox One and Samsung. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Sony PlayStation™ Vue and Amazon Channels. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™, and offers Smithsonian Earth™ through SN Digital LLC. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

 

About NFL Films

NFL Films – winner of 121 Sports Emmy Awards – remains a gold standard in sports television, providing unprecedented access to and legendary storytelling about the sport of professional football. NFL Films is a part of NFL Media, the owned and operated media division of the National Football League which is comprised of NFL Network, NFL Films, NFL.com, NFL Now, NFL Mobile from Verizon and NFL RedZone. With more than 100 million feet of film in its library, NFL Films is the historical backbone of NFL Network.

 

“I spent the last 24 hours thinking about why? Why did I pitch the ball back?”– Brandon Marshall on INSIDE THE NFL

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sho-nfl“INSIDE THE NFL” TALKS CAM NEWTON, MICHAEL VICK & LOCKER ROOM CULTURE 

“I spent the last 24 hours thinking about why? Why did I pitch the ball back?”– Brandon Marshall on his fumble in Sunday’s game 

Tonight, Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME®

NEW YORK (Sept. 29, 2015)—This week’s installment of Sports Emmy® Award-winning studio show “INSIDE THE NFL” premieres tonight, Tuesday, September 29 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME. Host Adam Schein is joined by expert analysts Boomer Esiason, Hall of Famer Michael Irvin and N.Y. Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall in-studio to discuss all the action of NFL Week 3.

This week’s installment of “INSIDE THE NFL” is highlighted by discussions of Panthers’ quarterback Cam Newton, Pittsburgh Steelers back-up QB Michael Vick, the locker room culture and NFL teams struggling after three weeks.

Plus, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and more are wired for sound.

“INSIDE THE NFL” covers every game, every week, with trademark highlights from NFL Films, special in-depth features and spirited debate on the hottest topics in the NFL. The show is produced by CBS Sports and NFL Films and airs every Tuesday during the NFL season through Feb. 9, 2016.

“INSIDE THE NFL,” the longest-running show on cable television, is produced by CBS Sports and NFL Films.  The executive producers are Sean McManus, Chairman, CBS Sports and Ross Ketover and Pat Kelleher of NFL Films.  Pete Radovich Jr., the Emmy Award-winning Creative Director for CBS Sports, serves as coordinating producer.

 Following are excerpts from this week’s episode:

On Brandon Marshall’s Fumble During Sunday’s Game…

Brandon Marshall – “I spent the last 24 hours thinking about why? Why did I pitch the ball back … I never wanted to crawl under something so quickly. I saw the bench and I said, ‘Man, only if I could crawl under that bench right now.’” 

On The Importance Of Good Locker Room Chemistry…

Boomer Esiason – “I think we all understand that the locker room and the tone of the locker room and the togetherness of the locker room really does lead to success on the football field …at least on the offensive side of the ball we had a galvanizing culture that we were all going to be together no matter what the situation is.”

Brandon Marshall – “The locker room is not within the walls.  It’s all over the place. It’s you taking your offensive linemen to dinner.  That’s when you get to know the person and when you can play for the person and not the player. That’s when the team is most powerful. Those are the great teams.”

On Cam Newton Complaining About Ed Hochuli Not Calling A Late Hit…

Brandon Marshall – “I get the human element part and the back-and-forth, the banter between player and ref. I love it. Yes, that’s a game within a game.  But at the same time, if you’re protecting other quarterbacks, why can’t you protect Cam? I’ll give you a prime example, Jay Cutler. I don’t know if it’s a perception thing, but Jay never gets calls. I would have to send Jay in the huddle and I would yell and scream at the refs, ‘This isn’t fair, call it. This is a personal foul.’”

On Michael Vick as a Back-up Quarterback For The Pittsburgh Steelers…

Boomer Esiason – “I think Michael Vick for the Pittsburgh Steelers is fine.  He’s going to be fine. He is a veteran quarterback. He had a lot of success in this league. They have a lot of good players. There’sLe’Veon Bell, DeAngelo Williams, Antonio Brown. They are going to be fine and their defense has gotten better each and every week…I was a back-up late in my career, my last season. Having a quality back-up is an insurance policy … I think Mike Vick has what it takes to win football games.”

On The Cincinnati Bengals…

Boomer Esiason – “Andy Dalton looks like a different quarterback. He looks comfortable. He looks like he’s in charge. And he looks better than he ever has as the Bengals quarterback.”

On Miami and San Francisco…

Boomer Esiason – “Two teams that I do worry about…Miami and San Francisco—for different reasons. Miami, I don’t know about the coaches there right now and I hate even talking about coaches this early in the season, but so much news is coming out of Miami about how people are unhappy down there. You do not spend the kind of money that you spent on Ndamukong Suh and then extend Ryan Tannehill and then lose your home opener to Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills 41-14. I’m sorry. And then for the other team that would be San Francisco. I think it’s still a little early to say it’s a trainwreck, but it’s on the way to being a trainwreck.”

On Detroit Lions…

Michael Irvin – “They have way too much talent to be 0-3. There’s going to be an issue in Detroit.”

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FIFA Head Sepp Blatter Refused Ideas For Transparency Says Anti-Corruption Expert On Tonight’s 60 MINUTES SPORTS on SHOWTIME

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60-Minutes-Sports-showtimeFIFA HEAD SEPP BLATTER LIVED UP TO THE “MAFIA DON” ANALOGY OFTEN MADE ABOUT HIM SAYS A FORMER FIFA IGC MEMBER WHO RESIGNED IN DISGUST – “60 MINUTES SPORTS” TONIGHT ONLY ON SHOWTIME®

Blatter Refused Ideas For Transparency, Including Likening FIFA To A Sovereign State When Rejecting A Call For Independent Executive Committee Members

“If he’s comparing himself to a sovereign state instead of the non-profit that FIFA is we’ve got real obstacles here.” – Alexandra Wrage. 

Click HERE For A Preview Of This Segment:

NEW YORK (June 3, 2015) – FIFA President Sepp Blatter has been called a Mafia Don for the way he ran the international soccer organization whose top executives are now under U.S. indictment for corruption.  Blatter earned that reputation, says a former member of FIFA’s International Governance Committee, with his arrogant words and behavior that she saw first-hand and caused her to resign in disgust.  The former IGC member and anti-corruption specialist Alexandra Wrage, speaks with Armen Keteyian on the next edition of 60 MINUTES SPORTS, premiering tonight, June 3 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

Blatter’s public comments seemed to play right into “The Godfather” metaphors says Wrage, “Mr. Blatter himself has used comments about ‘the football family’ and keeping it inside the family,” she tells Keteyian.  “A recent quote when he said that he can forgive but he never forgets, it’s almost as if he is playing to that theme himself.”

FIFA, looking to quell increasing amounts of criticism, set up the IGC a few years ago to help reform the organization. But Wrage says Blatter rejected a basic idea embraced by most corporations.  She says the FIFA president made an imperious comment when she made a suggestion to add a few independent members to his executive committee to create transparency.  “When I made that suggestion directly to him, his response was–noting that I am Canadian–that if the Canadian parliament wouldn’t have independent advisors then FIFA shouldn’t either.

“And I thought, ‘If he’s comparing himself to a sovereign state instead of the non-profit that FIFA is we’ve got real obstacles here.’”

Wrage says she resigned in disgust.  “There was really clear evidence in my mind that we were just going to be used as window dressing…One of the last comments I heard on the day that I resigned was that perhaps we could be configured as an IGC-lite,” she recalls.  “Really for me…that was the final straw.”

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WHO NEEDS 1,500 PAIRS OF SHOES?  “PECAS” DOES FOR ONE, AND SPORTS STARS CC SABATHIA AND VICTOR CRUZ AREN’T FAR BEHIND – MEET THE “SNEAKERHEAD” ROYALTY ON THE NEXT EDITION OF “60 MINUTES SPORTS”

THIS WEDNESDAY AT 9 P.M. ET/PT ON SHOWTIME®

Click HERE To Check Out Sabathia’s Closet:

NEW YORK (June 2, 2015) – They spend hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars on their precious shoes.  They will wait overnight in lines to purchase new editions.  They trade them; they resell them at a profit.  They just have to have them.  Who and what drives these “sneakerheads” in their seemingly obsessive hobby?  As Pam Oliver finds out, it’s sneakerhead royalty like Yankee pitcher CC Sabathia and the Giants’ wide receiver Victor Cruz.  It’s also a shoe hoarder who straddles the hip-hop and pro sports world who goes by the nickname “Pecas,” who may be the king of sneakerheads with 1,500 pairs.   Go inside this glitzy, trendy corner of the multi-billion dollar sports shoe industry on the next edition of 60 MINUTES SPORTS this Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT only on SHOWTIME.

The “sneakerhead” trend was born out of the fascination with expensive Air Jordan shoes from Nike and the hip-hop crowd who became high profile models for them.  Nowadays it’s special editions, game-worn shoes, autographed shoes and more, driving an interest among collectors in what used to be just a pair of sneakers.

Shawn Costner, known as “Pecas” –“freckles” in Spanish – came from the hip-hop world and now works for Jay Z’s sports agency.  It’s a perfect pedigree for his sneaker obsession, something he began as a boy in Brooklyn, N.Y.  It’s an influential urban culture he describes in the urban parlance.   “Whatever the urban kids are wearing …whatever they say is the next flyest thing, that’s what’ll be the next fly thing…You want to have the fly stuff.   You want to have the cool stuff.  You just want to be fly,” he tells Oliver during an interview in his home, in which sports shoes can be found in nearly every room.

Manufacturers like Nike will send special shoes they produce to influencers like Pecas, who often can be seen with the likes of music star Rihanna.  But sports stars drive even more interest in the sport shoe collecting world.  As big influencers, they get sent free pairs, too.  Some, like New York Giants’ Cruz – who owns hundreds of pairs — will still spend big money to buy more.  Oliver went shopping with him when he spent $550 on a single pair.

“It’s not so much about the shoes.  It’s about the stories,” says Cruz.  He can afford as many as he wants now, but that wasn’t always the case.  “A time from when I was younger… a pair that I could never get… the pair, my mother was, like, ‘You can’t have,’” he remembers with a laugh.

Sabathia keeps his huge collection in several large, glass-fronted closets with climate-control features.   It’s a virtual Nike footwear museum.  Oliver gets a tour from Sabathia and his wife, Amber.  Says the Yankee ace, “I always wanted to be Jordan, and be a part of the brand… And to be able to put the brand on the field, it’s awesome,” he says.   Asked by Oliver if she ever razzes her husband the way men give grief to women for their shoe-hoarding habits, Amber replies, “This is what he collects, this is his thing… he’s a sneakerhead.”

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Deontay Wilder To Defend WBC Heavyweight Title On June 13 Against Eric Molina, Live on SHO At 9p ET/6p PT

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sho-fightSWEET HOME(COMING) ALABAMA!

UNDEFEATED DEONTAY WILDER TO DEFEND
HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD TITLE AGAINST ERIC MOLINA
ON SATURDAY, JUNE 13, LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

FROM BARTOW ARENA IN BIRMINGHAM, ALA.

Tickets Are On Sale Now!

ALL ACCESS: Deontay Wilder Premieres June 3 On SHOWTIME

Birmingham, Ala. (May 14, 2015) – Undefeated Heavyweight World Champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (33-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala., will make the first defense of his title when he faces Eric “Drummer Boy” Molina (23-2, 17 KOs), of Raymondville, Texas, in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® on Saturday, June 13, live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala.

In the co-feature, undefeated Jose “The Sniper” Pedraza (19-0, 12 KOs), of Caguas, Puerto Rico, will be opposed by Andrey Klimov (19-1, 9 KOs), of Klimovski, Russia, in a 12-rounder for the vacant IBF Junior Lightweight World Championship.

The 6-foot-7 Wilder captured the heavyweight world championship with an impressive 12-round unanimous decision over defending titleholder Bermane Stiverne on Jan. 17 on SHOWTIME.  It was the first time the hard-hitting Wilder, 29, had fought more than four full rounds and the only time in his seven-year career that one of his fights went to the judges.  By winning, he became the first undefeated American to win a heavyweight title since Michael Moorer in 1994.

Molina, a 6-foot-5 southpaw, possesses punching power that commands respect and makes him a dangerous proposition for any opponent.  He has won five in a row, three straight by knockout, including an eighth-round TKO over Raphael Zumbano Love on the Wilder-Stiverne undercard.  If triumphant, the aggressive-minded 32-year-old would become the first Mexican-American heavyweight world champion.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Bruno Event Team are on sale now.  Tickets start at only $25 with the best seats in the house going for $200.  VIP packages are also available.  To purchase tickets fans should visit alabamatitlefight.com.  Tickets are selling fast and a sellout is anticipated.

“It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to defend my heavyweight championship in my home state,’’ Wilder said. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time.

“It was one of my dreams to win a world title. This was my other dream to be able to defend it before all my fans in Alabama. I can’t wait until fight night to step into the ring and see the whole state coming out to support me.”

“I remember just a few months ago watching Deontay get ready for the biggest fight of his life,” Molina said.  “I thought to myself, ‘someday, that’ll be me.’  I stared with envy not knowing that a few months later I’d get my turn.

“Winning the heavyweight world championship is my dream.  Just as it was Deontay’s dream, it’s mine now.  He had his turn, though it will be short-lived.  I will become the first Mexican-American heavyweight champion.  Guaranteed.  So, champ, come prepared for war.  I’m coming to kick some ass.”

“Deontay Wilder is the first American to hold a heavyweight championship in years and one of the most exciting fighters in the division. His homecoming in Birmingham will be electric,’’ promoter Lou DiBella said. “The opening bout will be Jose Pedraza’s opportunity to establish himself as Puerto Rico’s next champion and a rising star. It will be a great night of boxing on SHOWTIME.’’

“We are excited to work with DiBella Entertainment to bring the first ever heavyweight boxing championship to the State of Alabama,” said Gene Hallman, president and CEO of Bruno Event Team, a nationwide leader in sports event management.  “Alabama’s Deontay Wilder always puts on a show, so we expect the arena to sell out for this world heavyweight championship.”

“Deontay made an emphatic statement with his performance in January that he is one of the current and future stars of this sport, and we’re thrilled to welcome him back to SHOWTIME for his first title defense, ” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager SHOWTIME Sports.  “But we all know that one punch can change everything in the heavyweight division and Eric Molina will be coming to Alabama to prove just that.”

ALL ACCESS: Deontay Wilder, which chronicles the champion’s Jan. 24 homecoming parade in Tuscaloosa and his preparation for the upcoming title defense, premieres on Wednesday, June 3 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Wilder, the first United States-born heavyweight champion since Shannon Briggs won the WBO belt in November 2006, was born and raised in Tuscaloosa.  He’s fought in Alabama five times, although the bout on the campus of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) will mark the first occasion he’s fought outside of Tuscaloosa (four times) or Mobile (once).  This will be the first fight in his home state since August 2012.

Wilder started boxing at the age of 21 after his daughter Naieya (pronounced nie-EE-ya) was born with spina bifida.  Despite his late start in boxing, Wilder would go on to represent the United States in the 2008 Olympic Games, where he won a bronze medal.  He is the last American male boxer to medal in the Olympics.

Until going the distance against Stiverne, Wilder hadn’t come close to putting in a full night’s work since turning pro in November 2008.  The then-virtually untested slugger had fought a total of 58 rounds, an average of 1.8 rounds per outing.  He’s registered 18 knockouts in the first round, eight in the second.

Molina, who resides in Weslaco, Texas, is a big slugger, rugged and strong.  He has good skills and movement and, like Wilder, got a belated start in boxing but has had only two defeats as a professional.

“The Drummer Boy” is on a roll, coming off five consecutive victories. Molina’s matchup with Wilder will be his first shot at a world title.

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“WILDER VS. MOLINA, a 12-round fight for Wilder’s WBC Heavyweight Championship, takes place Saturday, June 13, at The Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala. DiBella Entertainment and Bruno Event Team have joined forces to bring this event to Alabama. It will air live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT). The telecast will also be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).  Preliminary bouts will be televised live on SHOWTIME EXTREME (7 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao Generates 4.4 Million Plus Domestic Pay-Per-View Buys

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hbo-fight

MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO EVENT SHATTERS RECORDS FOR PPV BUYS, PPV REVENUE, LIVE GATE AND MORE

Generates Combined Total Revenues In Excess of $500 Million

NEW YORK (May 12, 2015)—The boxing blockbuster event, Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao, shattered the previous record for total pay-per-view buys and now ranks as the highest-grossing pay-per-view of all time.  Initial reports from distributors indicate that the event generated more than 4.4 million U.S. buys and more than $400 million in domestic pay-per-view revenue alone.  With additional revenue from the live gate at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, international television distribution, sponsorships, closed circuit and merchandise sales, the event is expected to generate in excess of $500 million in gross worldwide receipts.  The news was announced jointly by Showtime Networks Inc., a subsidiary of CBS Corporation, and HBO in conjunction with event promoters Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank, Inc.

The welterweight world championship unification bout nearly doubled the previous record of 2.48 million buys generated by the Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather boxing event in 2007 and nearly tripled the record $150 million in U.S. pay-per-view revenue generated by Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez in 2013.

Live gate receipts for the star-studded event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena produced more than $71 million in revenue, dramatically eclipsing the previous live gate record of $20 million (for Mayweather vs. Canelo) for both the sport of boxing and Las Vegas.

Additionally, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao set the record for closed circuit admissions and revenue both in Las Vegas and at establishments nationwide.  The event sold nearly 46,000 closed circuit admissions at MGM Resorts International properties in Las Vegas alone and was available at more than 5,000 bars, restaurants and commercial establishments throughout the U.S.

Distributed in 175 countries worldwide, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao was available in essentially 75 percent of the world’s territories, setting the revenue record for international distribution.

As reported last week, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao drew enormous numbers on social media.  For example, Facebook reported that 37 million unique people contributed more than 115 million interactions from the start of the event to 30 minutes following its completion, a new record for a boxing event.

The May 2 promotion included unprecedented marketing and cross-promotional support from distributors as well as record revenue from the event’s major sponsors.

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao was a 12-round welterweight world championship unification bout promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank Inc., and co-produced and co-distributed by HBO PPV® and SHOWTIME PPV®.

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EXCLUSIVE FLOYD MAYWEATHER INTERVIEW WITH JIM GRAY | Premieres Saturday on SHOWTIME

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showtime-sportsEXCLUSIVE, CANDID INTERVIEW WITH FLOYD MAYWEATHER TO PREMIERE SATURDAY ON SHOWTIME®

Mayweather Goes In-Depth on Pacquiao Injury, the Possibility of a Rematch and Fighting Beyond Next September

SHOWTIME Premiere of World Championship Bout—Mayweather vs. Pacquiao—at 9 p.m. ET/PT Followed by Exclusive Interview and the Premiere of “INSIDE MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO Epilogue”

NEW YORK (May 7, 2015)—Sports Emmy® Award winning reporter Jim Gray of SHOWTIME Sports® sat down with pound-for-pound champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather for an exclusive and candid interview late Tuesday night, just days after Mayweather dominated Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao en route to a 12-round unanimous decision victory last Saturday night in Las Vegas. The interview will premiere this Saturday, May 9, on SHOWTIME immediately following the network’s premiere of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao (9 p.m. ET/PT).

In the interview, Mayweather addresses the claim made by Pacquiao’s camp that the Philippine fighter sustained an injury to his right shoulder that hampered his ability during the bout.  Mayweather also discusses the possibility of a rematch with Pacquiao and fighting beyond his next scheduled event in September.

“Absolutely not,” Mayweather told Gray when asked if he could detect a problem with Pacquiao’s shoulder during the bout.  “He was fast.  His left hand was fast.  His right hand was fast and he was throwing them both fast and strong.

“Excuses, excuses, excuses,” continued Mayweather, who remains undefeated in his professional career with 48 wins, no losses and no draws.

“I’m not going to buy into the bull—… and I don’t want the public to buy into the bull—-.  He lost.  He knows he lost.  I lost a lot of respect for him after all of this.”

Mayweather goes on to address the possibility of a rematch.

“Did I text Stephen A. Smith and say I will fight him again?  Yeah, but I change my mind,” said Mayweather.  “At this particular time, no, because he’s a sore loser and he’s a coward… If you lost, accept the loss and say, ‘Mayweather, you were the better fighter.’”

The compelling interview will air immediately following the SHOWTIME premiere of the welterweight world championship unification bout at 9 p.m. ET/PT.  The interview will be immediately followed by the premiere of INSIDE MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO Epilogue, the acclaimed original documentary series from SHOWTIME Sports.

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Cape Cod Summer Baseball League Featured On 60 MINUTES SPORTS This Wednesday On SHOWTIME

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60-Minutes-Sports-showtimeOn the Next Edition of “60 MINUTES SPORTS”

IN CAPE COD SUMMER LEAGUE, THE BASEBALL IS PURE AND THE MAJOR LEAGUE DREAMS OF COLLEGE PLAYERS OFTEN COME TRUE — “60 MINUTES SPORTS” ONLY ON SHOWTIME®

Cape is Rivaling Dominican Republic, Japan and Cuba as a Source of Big League Talent

Watch A Preview Of The Segment:

NEW YORK (May 5, 2015) – You can’t get much closer to pure baseball than the Cape Cod Summer Baseball League.  There is no admission, seats are usually on the grass and future major leaguers play their hearts out for room and board.  It’s strictly amateur, but as Sharyn Alfonsi finds out, this home-spun league, which attracts the best college baseball players in America and the professional scouts, is one of the biggest sources of Major League Baseball talent in the world.   Alfonsi’s report from Cape Cod will be featured on the next edition of 60 MINUTES SPORTS, Wednesday, May 6 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, only on SHOWTIME.

“This league is the best amateur league in the world, bar none,” says Mike Roberts, who coaches the team in the town of Cotuit.  He retired after 20 years as the baseball coach at the University of North Carolina, where his connections help him bring talent to Cape baseball. “Each team kind of has their pockets that they recruit [from] different schools, different coaches they’re friends with,” he tells Alfonsi.

Such recruiting is why more than 1,100 players who made the majors have spent at least a season playing on Cape Cod.  Current big leaguers who played summer ball on Cape Cod include Yankee slugger Mark Teixiera and Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria.  Hall of Famers Carlton Fisk and Frank Thomas also played on the Cape.

All that talent makes the league a boon for major league scouts.  Nick Hostetler scouts for the Chicago White Sox and says the Cape is the place to find the best college players all in one place.  But he has competition.  How many scouts come out to a game?  “There could be anywhere from 20 to 50 guys at one game,” says Hostetler.

Paul Galop, commissioner of the Cape Cod Baseball League, sums it up: “The scouts all come because they know the best players are here and the best players want to come here because they know the scouts are here,” he says.   Add to that the folksy atmosphere and you have a classic cultural tableau.  “Norman Rockwell somewhere is smiling down because what he had in mind happens here five times a night on Cape Cod…people on blankets, families that are together.”

The ball players stay with families in town who provide room and board as a matter of civic pride, love of the game and a chance to live with future sports stars.  Ashby Crafts has been hosting players on her small farm for 14 years.  As she shows pictures of her former charges, she points to the ones who made the pros.  She says she gets attached to them. “You say goodbye to your friend, but you hope you see them on national TV very shortly,” she tells Alfonsi.

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CHINA’S STATE SPORTS SYSTEM,   “THE GOLD MEDAL FACTORY,” STRUGGLES TO CHANGE WITH THE TIMES   –

“60 MINUTES SPORTS” ONLY ON SHOWTIME®

Yao Ming Tells Lesley Stahl Why His Mother Didn’t Want Him to Play in the System

NEW YORK (May 4, 2015) – Former NBA star Yao Ming says his mother didn’t want him to play basketball in China’s government-run sports system, Lesley Stahl reports in a story that looks at the problems China’s sports system is facing and how it is trying to change with the times.  Stahl’s report airs on the next edition of 60 MINUTES SPORTS, Wednesday, May 6 at 10 p.m. ET/PT only on SHOWTIME.

Yao, who is over 7 feet tall, takes Stahl inside the Shanghai Sports Institute, where some of China’s elite athletes train and where Yao honed the basketball skills he would later use playing for the Houston Rockets.  But when he was young, Yao says, his mother didn’t want him to enter the sports system at all; she wanted him to go to a regular school, get a good education, and perhaps get a scholarship to college.  Instead, he spent his teenage years living at the Sports Institute and training day-in and day-out.  “First of all, how many sons really listen to their mom?”  Yao says with a laugh.   He tells Stahl he received only about 10 hours of education a week when he was training at the Institute, and that’s why he’s back in school now, at age 34, trying to get his college degree.

“How are you doing [in college]?” Stahl asks.  “Don’t ask,” Yao replies.

China’s sports system was based on the Soviet model.   It grooms athletes from an early age, and succeeded in winning 51 gold medals at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, the most for a nation.  But the system has been less successful at promoting fitness for the masses and preparing athletes for life in China’s new and more market-oriented workplace.

Stahl interviews Zhang Shangwu – a star gymnast who tore his Achilles tendon and today performs in the streets of Beijing for spare change.  “There’s a big gap between you and the outside world,” he told Stahl. “And you have no skills to make a living,” says Zhang.

Stahl also talks with Sang Lan, a gymnast who was paralyzed in an accident during the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York.  At the time, the Chinese team did not have accident insurance for its athletes.  “I had to depend on myself,” Sang Lan says, recalling how she had to rebuild her life after returning to China in a wheelchair.

China’s General Administration of Sport told 60 MINUTES SPORTS that there is now an accident insurance program for athletes, who are now required to attend at least 12 hours of classes a week.  Susan Brownell, an American professor who has studied the Chinese sports system, says there have been problems implementing those changes, but the Chinese really do want reform.

“There tends to be…a stereotype of this fixed, unchanging Red Machine that was borrowed from the Soviets and never changed,” Brownell says.  “And in fact….it’s evolved, it’s changed over time.  And so it’s not a fair stereotype to think of it that way. “

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Mayweather vs. Pacquiao & INSIDE MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO Epilogue To Premiere Next Saturday On SHOWTIME

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FLOYD MAYWEATHER VS. MANNY PACQUIAO

hbo-fightTO PREMIERE ON SHOWTIME® NEXT SATURDAY, MAY 9

Delayed Telecast Begins At 9 p.m. ET/PT Immediately Followed By

INSIDE MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO Epilogue

Saturday’s welterweight unification showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will premiere on SHOWTIME® next Saturday, May 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.  The delayed telecast of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao will feature exclusive analysis from SHOWTIME boxing experts and will be immediately followed by the premiere of INSIDE MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO Epilogue.  The Sports Emmy Award-Winning “Epilogue” shines the spotlight on fight week and takes viewers inside the ropes and into the mind of a prizefighter like no other show on television.

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