SHOWTIME announced today it has acquired rights to the award-winning documentary RINGSIDE, which chronicles the dramatic upbringing of two boxing prodigies and follows the divergent paths they take as they navigate life’s uncertainties on the South Side of Chicago. Filmed over the course of nine years by award-winning director Andre Hörmann, RINGSIDE will premiere on SHOWTIME on Friday, June 12 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT.
Winner of the Silver Hugo Award at the Chicago International Film Festival, RINGSIDE documents the lives of Kenneth Sims Jr., Destyne Butler Jr., and their dedicated fathers who train them, and their aspirations of surviving one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the nation to achieve boxing glory. Hörmann teamed up with award-winning cinematographer Tom Bergmann and editor Vincent Assmann in 2009 to begin following the gifted young athletes. Starting with their U.S. Olympic® Boxing Team Trials, the filmmakers captured pivotal moments over nine years as the young men’s choices and circumstances changed, leading them down separate paths – one towards a promising boxing career and the other through the prison system.
“Filmed over the course of nine years, RINGSIDE is a complex, emotional account of two youths fighting to survive both professionally and personally,” said Stephen Espinoza, President, Sports and Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “This remarkable film follows two gifted young boxers and the fathers who guide them, as they strive to overcome a seemingly never-ending series of personal and societal obstacles. The result is a moving story about hope, ambition, self-discipline, resilience and redemption. It is this type of provocative story, at the intersection of sports and society, that has become the hallmark of SHOWTIME Sports Documentary Films.”
Both young men achieved remarkable success in their amateur careers. Sims amassed over 250 amateur fights, winning numerous national titles, and after his professional debut in 2014, became a sought-after sparring partner for Manny Pacquiao and Jorge Linares among others. He has made four appearances on the SHOWTIME prospect developmental series ShoBox: The New Generation to date. Conversely, Butler fell in with a burglary ring and served time in prison. He returned to boxing following his release in 2018, winning the Chicago Golden Gloves. He now stands undefeated following nine professional bouts.
A Sutor Kolonko and Motto Pictures production in association with Blue Ice Docs and Mitten Media, RINGSIDE is produced by two-time Academy Award® nominee and Emmy® Award winner Julie Goldman, Emmy Award winner Ingmar Trost and Emmy and Peabody Award winner Christopher Clements. The executive producers are Ken Pelletier, Mark Mitten and Carolyn Hepburn.
RINGSIDE is the latest in culturally relevant unscripted programming from SHOWTIME SPORTS DOCUMENTARY FILMS that spotlights contemporary subject matter. New customers who sign up on SHOWTIME.com and the SHOWTIME app can take advantage of a 30-day free trial for the SHOWTIME streaming service, available on SHOWTIME.com and the SHOWTIME app on all supported devices.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku®, Samsung Smart TVs and Xbox One. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.
