Joe Hand Sr.

Joe Hand Sr. (born September 10, 1936) is a businessman and media executive from Philadelphia, United States. He is the chairman of Joe Hand Promotions, Inc., a promoter of Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit broadcasts of sporting events, which he founded in 1971.

Early life and career
Hand was born in 1936 and raised in the Lawncrest district of Philadelphia. He joined the Philadelphia Police Department in 1959, eventually being promoted to Detective in the department's Intelligence Unit. In 1975, he suffered a serious heart attack which required him to leave the police force. Instead he focused on his business interests, which had begun in 1967 when he became a charter shareholder of Cloverlay Corporation.

Joe Hand Promotions
In 1971, Hand formed his own company specializing in sports promotions, Joe Hand Promotions, Inc. The company is now a large TV distributor of pay-per-view boxing, UFC and other events, airing in 5,000 sports-oriented commercial establishments around the United States, such as sports bars, restaurants, military bases, universities, cruise ships and oil rigs. The company has been involved in many major boxing championship fights, concerts, wrestling events, and other sporting occasions.

In January 2021, the company began offering a commercial subscription of ESPN Plus for Business which delivers limited live sports content via DirecTV to commercial establishments.

Joe Hand Boxing Gym
In 1995, Hand opened the Joe Hand Boxing Gym for children. The gym has boxing rings and equipment, but also a computer center for other educational activities.

Personal life
Hand married Margaret Joyce on June 29, 1957. They have two children.

Awards and recognition

 * Pennsylvania Sports Hall Of Fame (1992)
 * World Boxing Association "Closed Circuit Promoter of the Year" (1996)
 * "Man of the Year" in the King One Veterans Boxers Association(1999)
 * Golden Gloves Hall of Fame (2000)
 * Advisory Board, National Penn Bank (2000)
 * Middle Atlantic Amateur Boxing Association's Hall of Fame (2001)
 * Philadelphia Sports Congress "Wanamaker Award" (2002)
 * Northeast Catholic High School's Alumni Hall of Fame (2005)
 * Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame (2012)
 * Pennsylvania Sports Experience, Board of Trustees (2012)
 * Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame (2013)