Starting January 25th, World Championship Sumo and Club Sumo will bring "The Biggest Show on Earth" to TrillerTV viewers globally; Sports odds-making king Kenny White adds analysis as betting on American Sumo becomes a reality!
Newark N.J. (January 17, 2024)--World Championship Sumo,(WCS) and Club Sumo announced that all events will be broadcast live exclusively on TrillerTV Powered by FITE as the sport makes its championship return to the United States. The action brings elite athletes from all over the globe to the first ever Club Sumo Tournaments, scheduled for January 25th and February 8th, live from White Eagle Hall in Jersey City, NJ and the action builds momentum on February 18th at the World Championship Sumo Tournament on Sunday, February 18th at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. All three events will stream live as an introductory free view on TrillerTV. Register for free email updates and notifications at TrillerTV
The action begins on Thursday, January 25 and Thursday, February 8 with Club Sumo tournaments beginning at 8 p.m. ET from White Eagle Hall in Jersey City, New Jersey. These events lead up to the marquee World Championship Sumo tournament on Sunday, February 18 beginning at 7 p.m. ET from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. *To apply for media credentials for these three events, please visit www.swansonpr.com/credentials*
"At TrillerTV, our viewers love sports of all kinds – especially combat sports," said Michael Weber, Co-Founder and COO of TrillerTV. "Here's an incredible opportunity to present the best of the best in a sport with a long and noble history, and at the same time to bring in a new audience that doesn't know how exciting Sumo really is. World Championship Sumo has the talent and expertise to make this happen in a big way."
TrillerTV, formerly known as FITE, is the sports and entertainment streaming leader – known for the most reliable PPV platform and, with its TrillerTV+ service, the best value in streaming subscriptions. In addition to Sumo, TrillerTV delivers premium boxing, MMA, pro wrestling and football events and is available on every major OTT device and platform worldwide.
The commentary team features renowned Las Vegas oddsmaker Kenny White, who will be setting odds for matches throughout the tournaments and providing real-time analysis on the broadcasts, with live betting integration coming soon. Play-by-play announcing will be handled by rising MMA personality Ben "The Bane" Davis, with 15-time Norwegian Sumo champion Hans Borg bringing his years of Sumo expertise to the color commentator role. On color commentary will be Madison Guinn, who made history last year by being part of the first women's team to ever win a Sumo medal for team USA at the Sumo World Championships. Rounding out the team is ring announcer extraordinaire Jazz Securo.
"The International Sumo League is thrilled to have our live broadcasts streamed on TrillerTV, the gold standard in combat sports," said Noah Goldman, President of the International Sumo League (ISL). "The ISL and its World Championship Sumo and Club Sumo brands will have a dynamic announce crew who possess special talents and skills heading its broadcast team. Ben Davis and Madison Guinn are recognized as two of the best young broadcasters in the industry, and will bring their competitive insights to the broadcast as active combat sports athletes. Hans Borg, our analyst, is a legend in the sport who will offer his unique perspective into the Sumo matches with both wisdom and wit. Kenny White, one of the country's foremost sports handicappers, will provide updated odds and in-tournament analysis throughout the telecast, and ring announcer Jazz Securo's electric voice will excite our audiences from the center of the dohyo."
The 24-year-old Davis has already made a name for himself as a fast-rising broadcast talent in combat sports, leading the announce team for Anthony Pettis' APFC, Urijah Faber's A1 Combat, New York's premier MMA promotion Flex Fight Series, Colombia's Empire MMA and the Kumite Series. Davis is trained in MMA and made his pro boxing debut against Anderson Silva's son Gabe Silva.
A legend of Norway, Borg won the Norway national championship for 10 years in a row from 2002-2011. His accolades extend beyond his home country as he's won medals in the European Championships and in the 2007 U.S. Sumo Championships. In 2003 alone, Borg won the gold medal at the Norway National Championship, gold in the Nordic Championships and bronze in both the European Championships and World Championships.
Representing her native Houston, Texas, Guinn has competed since she was 15 years old in freestyle, Greco and folkstyle wrestling, catch wrestling, Brazilian jiu jitsu, Sumo and MMA. She is the 2023 U.S. Middleweight Sumo National Champion, was on the Texas National Team for wrestling and holds a purple belt in BJJ and a brown belt in Taekwondo. As a commentator, she's worked for Brazos Valley Submission Quest and more.
White is a two-time winner of the prestigious Stardust Football Invitational, in addition to originating the Player Power Ratings and formerly running the powerful Las Vegas Sports Consultants. The legendary oddsmaker can also be seen regularly on CBS Sports HQ. A prodigy in the business, White was running a sportsbook at 24-years-old and by 26 was setting lines for Vegas' biggest casinos.
Securo's work has seen him featured behind the mic on ESPN, NBC, NBC Sports Network, CBS Sports Network and more, being honored with "Ring Announcer of the Year" in multiple regions. In addition to award winning work as an actor/director, the New Orleans-native was a two-time Division 1 Track State Champion before picking up the microphone.
Tickets for the live event at Prudential Center are available through Ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices range from $25 to $200, plus applicable fees. Tickets for the live events at White Eagle Hall are available through SeeTickets.com. Ticket prices range from $30 to $60, plus applicable fees.
For more information about Sumo events on TrillerTV, contact, owen.phillips@fite.tv
About International Sumo League:
International Sumo League (ISL) aims to deliver "The Biggest Show On Earth" and is dedicated to promoting and growing the sport of Sumo wrestling through its premium live matches and events, along with accompanying video, betting, merchandising and social media offerings. For more information visit www.wcsumo.com.
About TrillerTV:
TrillerTV is the premium global platform for live sports and entertainment offering many of the industry's marquee PPV events to 8M registered users. Additionally, TrillerTV offers exclusive subscription packages such as AEW Plus in select regions, and TrillerTV+, the best value in sports, worldwide. Consumers can stream TrillerTV globally through its iOS and Android mobile apps, Apple TV, Android TV, ROKU and Amazon Fire TV apps. In addition, TrillerTV supports Samsung, LG, Cox Contour, Vizio SmartCast™, Virgin Media, Shaw Communications, Blue Curve IPTV, Foxxum, Chromecast, XBOX, ZEASN, Netrange, Vidaa/Hisense, VEWD/ TiVO, Netgem TV, Comcast's Xfinity 1 and Xfinity Flex, as well as more than 7,000 models of Smart TVs. TrillerTV also offers a free ad-supported FAST channel called TrillerTV 24/7, both on and off platform. Visit TrillerTV online at www.TrillerTV.com. Follow us as TrillerTV powered by FITE on Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIN, Facebook, and Threads.
About Prudential Center:
Prudential Center is the world-class sports and entertainment venue located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Opened in October 2007 and recently celebrating its 15th year as a marquee destination, the state-of-the-art arena is the home of the National Hockey League's (NHL) three-time Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils, Seton Hall University's NCAA Division I Men's Basketball program, and more than 210 concerts, family shows and special events each year. Ranked in the Top 5 worldwide by Pollstar, Billboard and Venues Today, Prudential Center is recognized as one of the premier venues in the United States, and hosts over 2 million guests annually. For more information about Prudential Center, visit https://www.prucenter.com/ and follow the arena on Facebook, X and Instagram @PruCenter. Prudential Center is a HBSE property.
About Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE):
Recognized as one of the most innovative and entrepreneurial companies in the industry today, HBSE is a leading sports and entertainment company, with a focus on inspiring possibilities in people and enhancing the communities where we live, work, play and win. HBSE brands provide distinctive and innovative ticketing, booking, hospitality, concessions and catering opportunities and services connected to game and event experiences. Founded by Josh Harris and David Blitzer, HBSE's global portfolio has grown to include premier sports franchises, brands, venues and investment platforms, centered around marquee assets, the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center.
About White Eagle Hall:
White Eagle Hall is a historic 8,000-square-foot live performance and private event venue in Jersey City, NJ which hosts live performances and private events before an 800-standing and 350-seated capacity audience. Originally constructed in 1910 and reopened in 2017 after a multi-year, multi-million-dollar renovation, the venue has hosted a variety of notable artists over the years including The Front Bottoms, Mitski, Kamasi Washington, Japanese Breakfast, The Bouncing Souls, Parquet Courts, Yo La Tengo, The Mountain Goats, Thursday, Screaming Females, Spoon, Waxahatchee, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Guster, Built to Spill, New Found Glory, and many more. White Eagle Hall has presented numerous sold out shows, community events, theater productions, and private events. As of 2021, the venue is operated by the entertainment, management and booking team at Prudential Center/Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE).
Additional Contacts:
Kelly Swanson/Andrew Roberts, Swanson Communications,
Phone:202-783-5500; contact@swansonpr.com
Bill Hanousek, Manager, Entertainment Communications, Prudential Center,
Phone: 973-757-6289; billhanousek@prucenter.com
