Bounce TV, BET and TV One have announced they will all broadcast Muhammad Ali’s memorial service this Friday, June 10. Bounce TV’s coverage, uninterrupted and commercial-free, will begin at 9 AM ET. It will start with a procession through the streets of Ali’s hometown of Louisville, which is scheduled to pass through his childhood neighborhood and include the Muhammad Ali Center. Between the procession and the service, Bounce will screen The Greatest, the 1977 movie starring Ali as himself.
BET News correspondent Marc Lamont Hill will anchor live coverage of the memorial service and will be joined in studio by special guests for commentary. They will broadcast an encore airing of BET News’ The Truth Series documentary Muhammad Ali: The People’s Champ at 1PM ET on BET and Centric.
TV One’s coverage starts at 2 PM when Ali’s memorial service begins at Louisville’s KFC Yum! Center. Roland S. Martin, host of the channel’s News One Now will anchor coverage from the show’s Washington D.C. studios, and will be joined by guest panelists.
Ali personally planned the service, in which former President Bill Clinton will give a eulogy, and insisted that tickets be free to the general public. Demand for the 15,000 seats in the stadium predictably outpaced supply, which has led to online scalping of the tickets. Ali family spokesman Bob Gundell told ESPN, “It is deplorable that some people are trying to profit off of the solemn service as we celebrate the life of Muhammad Ali. I hope that those buying tickets or trying to buy tickets would stop those efforts by not purchasing. Muhammad Ali wanted this to be a free event, an event that was open to all.” Officials are reportedly monitoring the matter. Ticket scalping in Kentucky, defined as selling a ticket for more than its face value, is punishable by a fine of up to $250.
Los Angeles residents will be able to watch the service at the California African American Museum conference center. The event is free and open to the public.
