WARD TO FACE PAUL SMITH ON Junio 20, 2015

En el Oracle Arena en Oakland, CALIFORNIA LIVE ON BET

NEW YORK — April 23, 2015 — BET Networks is pleased to announce that it is stepping into the ring with Roc Nation Sports as their exclusive broadcast partner to air live throne boxeo events on the network. The partnership between BET Networks and Roc Nation Sports is the first of its kind for the network and includes airing up to nine live, two-hour telecasts of Roc Nation Sports throne boxeo events over the next 18 meses. The first main event fight to air on BET Networks will feature WBA Super Middleweight World Champion Andre Ward (27-0, 14 Nocáuts) facing former World Title Challenger Paul Smith (35-5, 20 Nocáuts) of England in a 12 round bout on Sábado, Junio 20, 2015 en el Oracle Arena en Oakland, California. Además de la gran acción dentro del ring, the telecast will feature several notable Roc Nation touches that offer an unprecedented fan experience, including a live musical performance and a name DJ to keep the energy at a high level throughout the night. Fans can catch the action live on BET in the United States and globally on TIDAL.com, el servicio de streaming de música recién lanzado que combina la mejor calidad de sonido de alta fidelidad, videos de alta definición, música y editorial experta comisariada.

Boletos a un precio de $250, $125, $90, $60 y $30, sin incluir cargos e impuestos aplicables de servicio, go on sale Viernes, Abril 24 en 10:00 AM PT and will be available at all Ticketmaster locations, en línea en Ticketmaster.com y cargo por teléfono al (800) 745-3000.

“BET is constantly searching for ways to expand its portfolio of content with the sole goal of satisfying our audiences,” said Stephen G. Colina, President of Programming, BET Networks. “Roc Nation is doing very exciting things in the entertainment space and we are excited to partner with them on this groundbreaking deal positioning BET Networks as a go-to destination for premier live boxing events. Juntos, we’ll provide unique entertainment.”

“We’re thrilled to not only be introducing our newest broadcast partnership with BET Networks, but also to use this new platform to telecast Andre Ward’s highly anticipated return to the ring,"Dijo David Itskowitch, ARRULLO – Boxing of Roc Nation Sports. "En Junio 20, we will once again provide fans a night of exciting el boxeo trono peleas, live musical entertainment and an unprecedented fan experience.”

“I’m very excited to be coming back on Junio 20 at Oracle Arena in my hometown of Oakland which has been a long time coming,"Dijo Ward. “I’m equally excited to be fighting on BET in front of a potential viewership of over 90 millón de hogares. Como un luchador, this diversifies my portfolio and puts me in front of a whole different audience. I have an extremely tough fighter in front of me in Paul Smith who’s looking to pull the upset, but I can’t let that happen. I have to be on my best game to turn Smith away and beat him the way I want to beat him. Como siempre, I’m ready to put on a tremendous performance in front of my hometown fans and those watching on BET. This is a fight you don’t want to miss.”

“I cannot wait to get back in the ring and test myself against a class act like Andre Ward. I proved that I belong at the top level with my performances against Arthur Abraham and this is a challenge that I am relishing,"Dijo Smith. “Andre is a top pound-for-pound fighter and someone I respect a lot, but he has only boxed once in almost three years and I will give it everything I have got. I am fresh and confident going into this fight. It’s a massive opportunity for me and one that I took with both hands when it was offered. I have spent a lot of time boxing in the United States and I look forward to returning for this fight.”

Known for his strong character and integrity outside the ring and his killer instinct inside it, Andre Ward’s skill and talent were apparent early in his outstanding amateur career. Él acumuló cada título en los libros, culminando con una medalla de oro en la división de peso semipesado en el 2004 Juegos Olímpicos de Atenas. Como el único boxeador estadounidense masculina para reclamar el oro olímpico desde 1996, Ward, se unió a la talla de Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard y Oscar De La Hoya. Se convirtió en profesional en diciembre 18, 2004, anotando una segunda victoria por nocaut técnico ronda sobre Chris Molina en el Staples Center, en una pelea que fue televisado en vivo por HBO. Ha llegado a acumular 26 más victorias desde entonces, la construcción de una legión creciente de los aficionados en el proceso. Después de convertirse en el campeón del mundo de Ring Magazine y AMB súper mediano, subiendo a la número dos en la lista libra-por-libra y ganar la 2011 Boxeador del Año (ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Ring Magazine y la Asociación de Escritores de Boxeo de América), se anunció que la sala ha firmado un acuerdo exclusivo de promoción con Roc Nation Deportes en enero 2015, la apertura de un nuevo capítulo en su carrera en el boxeo pisos. Now the Bay Area product is ready to return to the ring on Junio 20 en el Oracle Arena frente a sus fanáticos locales en Oakland, California.

Paul “Real Gone Kid” Smith enters his fight against pound-for-pound star Ward coming off of two heroic performances against WBO Super Middleweight World Champion Arthur Abraham. Smith challenged the Armenian-German for his title in Kiel, Germany in September 2014 and put on the performance of his career in his world title first shot. The 32-year-old native of Liverpool was the clear winner of large parts of the fight and celebrated at the bell in front of a hushed partisan crowd that thought that Abraham had been dethroned. Smith was not expecting the wide scorecards that were read out in favor of the hometown fighter and, judging by the far-reaching outrage at the lopsided numbers, neither were the majority of the boxing world and beyond, with Smith receiving support from some of Britain’s biggest sports stars on social media. A rematch was the only possible scenario and, like a true champion, Abraham duly obliged. Smith returned to Germany in February of this year to face Abraham again, this time in Berlin, but Abraham was a different fighter the night of their second fight, successfully defending his belt against a brave challenge from Smith. Once again the judges’ were forced to give a verdict and this time a decision win by Abraham was met with no outcry of controversy. En Junio 20, “Real Gone Kid” will return to the ring and once again venture into hostile territory to take on one of boxing’s best, looking to silence the crowd.

Sala vs. Herrero, un 12 asaltos presentado por Roc Nation Deportes, se lleva a cabo Sábado, Junio 20 en el Oracle Arena en Oakland, California, será televisado en vivo por BET y transmitido a nivel mundial en TIDAL.com en 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT y es presentada en asociación con Matchroom Sport.

ABOUT BET NETWORKS:

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, música, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canadá, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, música, culture, y noticias; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks – BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

ABOUT ROC NATION SPORTS:

Roc Nation Deportes, una sub-división de Roc Nation, puesto en marcha en la primavera de 2013. El amor del fundador Shawn "JAY Z" Carter por los deportes llevó a la formación natural de Roc Nations Sports, ayudar a los atletas de la misma manera Roc Nation ha estado ayudando a los artistas en la industria de la música para el año. Roc Nation Sports se enfoca en elevar la carrera de los atletas a escala global tanto dentro como fuera del campo.. Roc Nation Deportes conceptualiza y ejecuta de marketing y patrocinio ofertas, alcance comunitario, caritativas tie-ins, relaciones con los medios y estrategia de marca. Roc Nation Sports lanzó su división de boxeo, una empresa de servicios integrales de promoción que representa a los campeones del mundo Miguel Cotto y Andre Ward, en agosto 2014. La lista de Roc Nation Sports incluye atletas de primer nivel como Robinson Cano, Skylar Diggins, Kevin Durant, Geno Smith, Victor Cruz, CC Sabathia, James Young, Dez Bryant, Ndamukong Suh, Rusney Castillo, Yoenis Cespedes, Jaelen Fuerte, Todd Gurley, Wilson Chandler, Erick Aybar and Frances Tiafoe. Para obtener más información, visite www.rocnation.com. Siga Roc Nation en Twitter e Instagramrocnation y en Facebook en www.facebook.com/RocNation.

ABOUT ORACLE ARENA & O.co COLISEUM:

Oracle Arena and O.co Coliseum, managed by AEG Facilities, are the premiere sports and entertainment complexes in Northern California. Home of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, the NFL’s Oakland Raiders and MLB’s Oakland Athletics as well as host to concerts, family shows and special events. Additional information on Oracle Arena and O.co Coliseum, including a complete schedule of events can be found online at www.coliseum.com. Follow Oracle Arena on Twitter, Instagram, Vine and Snapchat @OracleArena and on Facebook www.faecbook.com/OracleArenaO.coColiseum.