Top HBO Official Speaks Out On Pacquiao-Morales PPV Situation

HBO senior vice president Mark Taffet yesterday made it clear that the world’s leading boxing network “entered into an agreement with Top Rank and Bob Arum” for the pay-per-view distribution of the showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales last March 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and that HBO “took no risks, gave no PPV guarantees to the promoters and the promoters took all the risks.” At the same time Taffet said “our contract was with Top Rank and Bob Arum, not with Murad Muhammad” and that he had “no idea of any share for Manny Pacquiao.” He said “promoters make deals with one another” and HBO didn’t know the details of such agreements. Manila Standard Today tried to contact Arum at his HBO office in Las Vegas about the raging controversy over the share allegedly due Pacquiao from PPV income but Arum was not in his office. A message was left on an answering machine but as of press time we had received no response. In an overseas telephone conversation with Manila Standard Today, Taffet revealed that HBO handled the distribution of the fight coverage in the US market and took what Taffet termed “a fee for distribution services” and would “collect incomes and give it to Top Rank”.Taffet also disclosed that HBO “provided an advance to Top Rank after the fight to cover any risk of a shortfall” in pay-per-view because the promoters had committed to pay Morales and Pacquiao a fixed purse for the fight. Morales was reportedly getting $2.5 million and Pacquiao $1.75 million while Murad Muhammad revealed the advance paid to Top Rank was $2.7 million. Taffet said “if Murad tells you how much it was, its correct” because he knows.” details]