Former Boxer Oscar De La Hoya Announces DE LA HOYA TV As New Network

I don't watch a lot of boxing, but anyone in the least bit familar with it knows who Oscar De La Hoya is, and it's clear that he's made a name for himself in the ring. This, coupled with his noted successes outside the ring have made him an idol to many, and now, he's adding the title of "media mogul" to his list of accomplishments.

Yes, he's starting a new network of his own attributed to the Latin community with original programming to be centered on various combat sports and lifestyle aspects. An announcement was made this past Wednesday with all the details available:

MIAMI, Jan. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Olympic gold medalist, 10-time world champion in six weight divisions and leading boxing promoter Oscar De La Hoya will launch a new Spanish-language sports, travel and lifestyle cable television channel called De La Hoya TV, the "Golden Boy" announced today at the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) annual conference in Miami. 

Offering news, analysis and original programming surrounding combat sports including boxing and MMA, the multi-platform network will feature entertainment, travel, lifestyle and news on international sports, giving fans another level of access to the champions of the sports that they love. 

"De La Hoya TV will be the premiere authority on boxing and other combat sports, providing fans with a behind-the-scenes look into the world and lifestyles of their favorite athletes," said De La Hoya, chairman of De La Hoya TV. "The network aims to inspire all to live the life of a champion, delivering exceptional insight into the athletes and featuring entertainment, global destinations, news and more." 

Building on boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya's brand, De La Hoya TV will launch with Spanish-language content and focus on engaging the U.S. Hispanic market. 

Latino audiences, which now total more than 50 million in the U.S., have long fueled the popularity of combat sports, and De La Hoya TV will provide the Hispanic market with an experience that they've longed for. Among U.S. Hispanic audiences, boxing is the second most-popular sport after soccer, and recent data suggests that more than 50 percent of the Mixed Martial Arts' fan base is Hispanic. 

The multiplatform network will launch in the spring of 2015 and be available for cable and satellite distribution. Initially launching in Spanish, the network will in the future provide English content, offering today's modern consumers with multiple options to engage with network programming. 

De La Hoya TV is a partnership between Oscar De La Hoya, businessman and international boxing promoter José Alberto "Pepe" Gómez, and media executive and Fashion TV Latin America partner Victor Hugo Montero. 

Gomez is a successful business owner and major promoter of Mexican and international boxing. Gomez operates several media companies in Mexico, including a popular newspaper and radio station. 

Montero is an experienced television and cable executive, having launched Venezuela's first cable channel, Sun Channel Tourism Television, which is currently available throughout Latin America. More recently Montero helped re-launched Fashion TV Latin America, an international cable channel. 

"In my decades of working in television, I've seen few opportunities to connect with an untapped market with such an exponential opportunity for growth. For over a year we have worked on this project and are focused on expanding content from Spanish to include English and make it available to a larger audience, all to serve the consumer's appetite," said Victor Hugo Montero, CEO and general manager of De La Hoya TV. 

"The popularity of combat sports continues to grow throughout the United States, Latin America and the globe, and now fans will finally have a unique resource to get news and analysis through De La Hoya TV," said José Alberto "Pepe" Gómez, executive chairman of De La Hoya TV. 

De La Hoya TV's unique content, which will complement existing boxing programming on the established networks, like HBO, SHOWTIME, FOX, and Televisa will help continue to fuel the growth of the sport and the intensity of the fans. 

Original production for De La Hoya TV will begin in early 2015, with details on programming schedules to be announced soon. The network is based in Miami, Florida.