Vice TV has signed a multi-year media rights agreement with BYB Bare Knuckle Boxing, a prominent bare knuckle fighting organization. Vice Sports will broadcast 13 live events in primetime during 2025, primarily on Saturday nights, commencing with BYB 37 Denver Brawl IV on February 22, 2025. This partnership represents Vice TV's inaugural live sports event series, reflecting the cable network's transition to a sports-first strategy.
BYB's distinctive three-sided Trigon ring, the smallest in combat sports, intensifies the action, leading to a remarkable 90% knockout rate. "We look forward to adding live BYB Bare Knuckle Boxing, our first live event series, as a mainstay of the Vice TV schedule as Vice Sports continues to fill its programming slate with compelling sports-themed docuseries, programs, live events, and podcasts," stated Pete Gaffney, president of Vice TV. "BYB is a combat sport surging in popularity, and having it on VICE TV helps us fulfill our mission of featuring provocative sports programming that our audience now expects."
BYB CEO Greg Bloom added, "Bare Knuckle Boxing is growing faster than any other sport, with a trajectory that mirrors MMA twenty-five years ago, and that growth and popularity will only accelerate as Vice TV builds out Vice Sports. BYB, like Vice TV, prides itself on being an industry innovator and disruptor, and we look forward to being a tentpole partner as Vice Sports continues to elevate exciting original and live programming."
BYB 37 will be held on February 22nd from 9 a.m. to noon Eastern Time at the Stockyards Event Center in Denver, Colorado. The main event features a clash between undefeated fighters: Harry “The Hitman” Gigliotti defending his Police Gazette Diamond Belt against Jon “Untameable” Barnard. The co-main event sees Helen Peralta aiming for a second championship title as she challenges Lailane Mota for the vacant BYB Super Featherweight Police Gazette Diamond belt.
In response to escalating global demand for sports content, Vice Media recently launched the Vice Sports brand, accompanied by a broadened original sports programming strategy. This sports-first approach for Vice TV, in collaboration with A+E Networks, includes recent premieres such as “Brady vs. Belichick: The Verdict,” “Calipari: Razor’s Edge,” and “Pitino: Red Storm Rising.” Vice Media plans to produce over 50 hours of sports-themed content for worldwide distribution in 2025.