gc
16 June 2003, 10:53 AM
ESPN2 taps Sundance Square for boxing event
David Wethe/Michael Whiteley - Dallas Business Journal
The Playboy Mansion will be a tough act to follow for Fort Worth's Sundance Square, but Colleyville-based boxing producer Lester Bedford is looking forward to the June 17 opportunity.
Teaming up with pro boxer Oscar De La Hoya's Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions, Bedford is bringing ESPN2's "Tuesday Night Fights" series to Sundance Square, where an estimated 1 million viewers from across the nation will tune in to see six fights, beginning at 7 p.m.
With the backdrop of the Jett Building's famous Chisholm Trail mural, the fights will be held outdoors in a parking lot at the southwest corner of 3rd and Main streets.
The Fort Worth boxing event, believed to be the first of its kind for Sundance Square, will take place three weeks after the sports network televised its series at the Playboy Mansion.
"The concept of ESPN2 Tuesday Night Fights is to look for unusual locations and interesting visual locations," said Bedford, a native Fort Worthian who's spent the past 15 years traveling around Texas promoting fights. He now works as a producer for the Miller Lite Texas Title Belt Professional Boxing Series.
Bedford said he expects to draw 2,000 to 3,000 fans downtown on a traditionally slow Tuesday night.
"The nice thing is it's national-television exposure for Sundance Square," Bedford said. "It brings money to Sundance Square. It brings money to the hotels down there."
However, Bedford said he couldn't estimate how much revenue the event will generate locally.
Bedford said he called Bass-affiliated Sundance Square Management and pitched the idea because of downtown Fort Worth's reputation as an entertainment venue.
Lured by the national exposure, Sundance Square Management, which normally charges a fee to rent out its parking lot for other outdoor events, is offering the space for free, said Tracy Gilmour, the company's spokeswoman.
"It's a great publicity thing for Sundance Square," she said.
dwethe@bizjournals.com, mwhiteley@bizjournals.com
David Wethe/Michael Whiteley - Dallas Business Journal
The Playboy Mansion will be a tough act to follow for Fort Worth's Sundance Square, but Colleyville-based boxing producer Lester Bedford is looking forward to the June 17 opportunity.
Teaming up with pro boxer Oscar De La Hoya's Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions, Bedford is bringing ESPN2's "Tuesday Night Fights" series to Sundance Square, where an estimated 1 million viewers from across the nation will tune in to see six fights, beginning at 7 p.m.
With the backdrop of the Jett Building's famous Chisholm Trail mural, the fights will be held outdoors in a parking lot at the southwest corner of 3rd and Main streets.
The Fort Worth boxing event, believed to be the first of its kind for Sundance Square, will take place three weeks after the sports network televised its series at the Playboy Mansion.
"The concept of ESPN2 Tuesday Night Fights is to look for unusual locations and interesting visual locations," said Bedford, a native Fort Worthian who's spent the past 15 years traveling around Texas promoting fights. He now works as a producer for the Miller Lite Texas Title Belt Professional Boxing Series.
Bedford said he expects to draw 2,000 to 3,000 fans downtown on a traditionally slow Tuesday night.
"The nice thing is it's national-television exposure for Sundance Square," Bedford said. "It brings money to Sundance Square. It brings money to the hotels down there."
However, Bedford said he couldn't estimate how much revenue the event will generate locally.
Bedford said he called Bass-affiliated Sundance Square Management and pitched the idea because of downtown Fort Worth's reputation as an entertainment venue.
Lured by the national exposure, Sundance Square Management, which normally charges a fee to rent out its parking lot for other outdoor events, is offering the space for free, said Tracy Gilmour, the company's spokeswoman.
"It's a great publicity thing for Sundance Square," she said.
dwethe@bizjournals.com, mwhiteley@bizjournals.com