What's On This Weekend in TV Sports (May 8-9)

Canelo Alvarez
(Image credit: Boxing)

 This weekend’s look at live sports events telecasts starts in the boxing ring as DAZN distributes Saturday’s super middleweight championship unification fight between Canelo Alvarez -- arguably boxing’s biggest draw -- against undefeated champion Billy Joe Saunders. 

Read Also: Canelo Alvarez, Floyd Mayweather Lead Busy Spring PPV Boxing Schedule

Also Saturday, ESPN will step into the octagon with a UFC Fight Night card featuring a women’s flyweight main event fight between Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson.

Pro soccer action includes CBS' coverage of Saturday's NWSL Challenge Cup final between Portland Thorns FX and NJ/NY Gotham FC. Also on Saturday ESPN will air the MLS' NYCFC-Orlando game and Fox will televise the league's LAFC-La Galaxy contest,  while NBC will air the Chelsea-Manchester City Premier League game. On Sunday ABC will look to score viewers with  an MLS Soccer doubleheader featuring the Atlanta-Inter Miami CF game and the Seattle-Portland contest. 

Also Sunday ESPN will offer NBA doubleheader action with the Miami Heat-Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks-L.A. Clippers telecasts.

On the auto racing front, FS1 on Saturday will offer the NASCAR Xfinity series Steakhouse Elite 200 race, while on Sunday ESPN will televise the Formula Spanish Grand Prix race and FS1 will offer the NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 race. 

In other sports, CBS will deliver weekend final round coverage of the PGA Wells Fargo Championship golf tournament, while ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball game will feature the Philadelphia Phillies--Atlanta Braves matchup. 

Read also: Regional Sports Nets: Apples and Oranges 

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.