David Haye’s long-awaited comeback fight will air right here on boxingnews24 and YouTube, LIVE from The O2 on Saturday 16 January at 9pm.
In a worldwide first for the sport of boxing, the comeback fight of former two-weight world champion David Haye will be screened live on YouTube to a global audience.
Hayemaker Promotions and Salter Brothers Entertainment have agreed a deal with YouTube that will see the ‘Haye Day’ event from The O2 in London live streamed outside of the UK for free*.
The Hayemaker’s YouTube channel will host the live stream, which kicks-off at 9pm GMT and will deliver the feed from UK host broadcaster Dave, part of UKTV, which will run until 11pm GMT.
Commenting on the announcement Haye said: “I’m delighted that my fans around the world will be able to watch my first fight in three-and-a-half years on YouTube for free, the world’s largest content distribution platform. When I knew I was making my return the ring I wanted to ensure that my first fight would be accessible everyone, young and old, to help inspire people and engage as wide an audience as possible with boxing – this deal is key to that aim.”
He added: “The Hayemaker’ is finally back, and ready to do what I do best, knock people out. This is the beginning of a journey back to the summit of heavyweight boxing and it’s great that so many boxing fans around the world will be able to witness free of charge.”
Ben McOwen Wilson, Director Content Partnerships, EMEA, at YouTube said: “We’re delighted that David Haye has chosen YouTube to support his return to boxing. The YouTube audience is global and young – making YouTube the perfect platform to connect boxing with current and future fans of the sport. David and his team understand that premium sport needs to connect live with its fans worldwide, and we’re very happy to work with them to make this a reality.”
Haye Day marks David Haye’s first appearance since defeating Dereck Chisora at Upton Park three-and-a-half-years ago and sees him take on a top 10 WBA ranked heavyweight in De Mori, who boasts a record of 31 wins (26 KOs) with only 1 defeat. De Mori is undefeated since September 2004 and most recently claimed a first round knock-out in October.
Haye’s long-awaited return to the ring against Australian Mark de Mori will see a number of famous faces at ringside including Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch, Hollywood heart-throb Tom Hardy, Luther lead Idris Elba and Game of Thrones actor Kit Harrington.
In addition to the main event and strong undercard, fans and celebrities at The O2 will also be treated to a performance from chart topping dance act Sigma immediately before Haye makes his appearance. Sigma’s appearance add to a strong musical flavour with Dizzy Rascal, Rudimental and Florence Welch also confirmed to attend the fight as spectators.
The Hayemaker, who is widely recognised as one of the best boxers of his generation, was the first British boxer to become the unified cruiserweight champion in 2008, winning WBC, WBA, WBO as well as The Ring magazine title.
Haye has joined forces with entertainment, media and marketing company Salter Brothers Entertainment, with support from The O2. They have collectively devised ‘Haye Day’ with the goal of bringing the love and excitement of big-time boxing to the digital age. Their aim is to make the sport accessible to a wider audience, galvanising the UK and beyond, by delivering Saturday night live events that are the hottest ticket in town.
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M360 (www.im360.com), the leader in immersive and interactive content, has entered into an agreement with former heavyweight champion David Haye to produce the first-ever live boxing match in virtual reality featuring David Haye in partnership with Salter Brothers Entertainment. IM360 will broadcast a live, multi-camera, 360° video production of the boxing match between David “Hayemaker” Haye and Mark “The Dominator” di Mori at the O2 Arena in London, England on Saturday, January 16, 2016 at 9:00pm GMT.
The match will be viewable on Hayemaker 360, a VR app custom-built by IM360, available on Android smartphones and tablets worldwide (except France), or on the Hayemaker 360 website. For more information about Hayemaker 360 or to download the free app, visit im360.com/HAYE.
In addition to the live 360° broadcast, Hayemaker 360 will host a wide range of exclusive virtual reality content about David Haye, giving sports fans a look at his workouts and everyday life. The app was created through a partnership with Salter Brothers Entertainment.
“We’re proud to be able to bring true live virtual reality to market, providing sports fans a level of entertainment never experienced,” said Richard Ngo-Tran, Vice President of Marketing for IM360. “With this first-ever live VR boxing match, we continue to push the boundaries of virtual reality as it enters the world of mainstream sports entertainment.”
“Virtual reality technologies and immersive experiences are at the heart of this next wave of digital evolution. As a company, we are dedicated to creating new ways of making live sports and entertainment more exciting and engaging,” said Andrew Salter, Co-CEO of Salter Brothers Entertainment. Simon Salter, Co-CEO of Salter Brothers Entertainment added, “To be the very first to bring live VR and 360 to boxing, together with our client David Haye and IM360 this Saturday at O2 Arena, is truly an exciting moment in sports technology.”
Boxer David Haye commented, “I’m fascinated by new emerging technologies, and am constantly looking to embrace the digital world in order to connect with my fans. With this in mind, I’m thrilled to bring immersive VR technology to big time boxing — allowing the public to stand alongside me in the ring, letting them see what I see and experience every punch.”
Download Hayemaker 360 and learn more at im360.com/HAYE
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