NEW YORK (May 11, 2006) – CBS Corporation’s Showtime Networks Inc. announced that the iTunes Music Store is now offering one of the most talked about matches in the long and storied history of boxing for purchase and download. The World Boxing Council (WBC) Lightweight Championship fight between Diego “Chico” Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo (May 7, 2005), the 2005 Fight of the Year, is available in its entirety for $1.99 at www.itunes.com..
In addition, Showtime Networks announced that the fighters’ second meeting (October 8, 2005) will be available on the iTunes Music Store beginning Tuesday, May 23, while the third match will be available after the LIVE telecast on Saturday, June 3, on SHOWTIME.
Consumers can purchase the fights individually for $1.99 as they are available or sign up to receive the entire trilogy for $3.99 as the fights become available at iTunes.
The first meeting between the 135-pound warriors was a ferocious 10-round affair that went down in the history books as an instant classic. “A fight for the ages,” proclaimed the Associated Press following the dramatic, come-from-behind, 10th-round knockout by Corrales. The unanimous winner of the Boxing Writers Association of America award for Fight of the Year, this showdown is regarded by industry experts to be among the all-time greatest bouts in history.
The second edition of Corrales-Castillo was simply a continuation of the first; Round 11, it has been called, complete with toe-to-toe, center-of-the-ring exchanges with Castillo winning by devastating KO in the fourth round.
Now, Corrales and Castillo are preparing to settle the score on June 3 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, for the WBC Lightweight World Championship presented LIVE on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
“Rivalries as fierce and intense as Corrales-Castillo don’t come around too often in boxing; in fact, they don’t come around too often in any sport,” said Showtime Networks Sports & Event Programming General Manager Ken Hershman. “Showtime Championship Boxing on iTunes allows us to reach a very broad, young audience. And to deliver the drama of this trilogy on such an intriguing platform is a benefit to the sport and its fans.”
SHOWTIME currently offers original programming on iTunes, including Golden Globe® nominees “Sleeper Cell” and “Weeds.” With television and sports content available for just $1.99 per episode for viewing on a computer or iPod, iTunes continues to pioneer the purchase-to-download market.
Corrales-Castillo at iTunes Music Store
ABOUT SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING celebrates 20 years of hard-hitting, explosive programming in 2006. In March 1986, SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING was born when “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler defeated John “The Beast” Mugabi in a spectacular and unforgettable 11th-round knockout in Las Vegas. Since that time, the network has aired some of the most historic and significant events in the sport including both Holyfield-Tyson bouts.
Always at the forefront of boxing, SHOWTIME has set itself apart by telecasting “great fights, no rights” on the first Saturday of every month. SHOWTIME is the first network to regularly deliver live boxing in High Definition. In addition, SHOWTIME continues to be a pioneer in sports television with a number of interactive features across multiple platforms making SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecasts the most enjoyable, immersive viewing experience for the boxing audience.