All-access sports series have been all the rage in recent years, with everything from HBO’s Hard Knocks franchise to Netflix’s Quarterback creating buzz and drawing viewers.
ESPN is betting there’s an audience for an all-access series featuring some of the top stars in boxing. The network announced Wednesday that a new five-episode series, The Fight Life, will debut Oct. 7 on ESPN+, with subsequent airings on ESPN2.
The series follows the adventures of Top Rank Boxing stars Tyson Fury, Naoya Inoue, Seniesa Estrada, Teofimo Lopez, and Josh Taylor during a year of competition. The ESPN press release on the series notes, “As the boxers prepare for some of the biggest fights of their careers, episodes document the traveling circus that is the business of the sport, offering a living, breathing, punching, 360-degree portrait of ‘the fight life.'”
“The Fight Life showcases all the traits that make boxing so compelling: rich personal stories of sacrifice and determination, pressure-packed stakes, and of course – conflict,” Lindsay Rovegno, VP of Production for ESPN Originals, said in a statement. “Whether you’re a diehard boxing fan or someone who just loves great characters and high-quality storytelling, this exciting new series features the unique perspectives of exceptional fighters that we’re excited to share with viewers.”
It won’t be the first all-access boxing show; Amazon Prime has the long-running and aptly named All Access series documenting boxers. But having the star power of Fury, who is featured in the first episode, not to mention Inoue, who has held multiple world titles in different classes, should guarantee some interest for the new ESPN series.
[ESPN]
