24/7 fight series of PPV bout pacquiao vs. hatton

[FLIP_SIDE]

HBO Puts Marketing Muscle Behind Next '24/7' Fight Series
Looks To Draw Younger Viewers For 'Pacquiao/Hatton' Series, PPV Bout
by R. Thomas Umstead -- Multichannel News, 3/30/2009 12:00:00 AM MT
HBO hopes a multiplatform marketing and promotional campaign for a preview series leading up to its May 2 Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton pay-per-view boxing event will attract younger viewers to the sport.

HBO's push for its four-part Pacquiao/Hatton 24/7 series will include a Web-based sweepstakes offering a behind-scenes fight experience at the venue, HBO senior vice president of sports operations Mark Taffet said.

HBO wants the series, trailing Pacquaio and Hatton as they train for their mega PPV fight, to help draw 18-to-49-year-old males to a sport whose male median viewing age skews over 35.

Pacquiao/Hatton 24/7 marks the fifth installment in the series, which debuted in 2006 ahead of an Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather bout. The first four installments have averaged 2.5 million viewers, according to HBO.

“The goal of 24/7 is not only to provide an all access look at the sport's biggest events, but also to reach out to the next generation of boxing fans and to engage them with a compelling program which speaks their language,” Taffet said.

The sweepstakes grand prize is a trip to Las Vegas for the three days leading up to the fight. The sweepstakes runs from March 30 through April 22 on HBO.com.

The winner and a guest will be filmed as they attend fight activities such as the weigh in and the pre-fight party, and attend the live event. A daily video journal will be posted on Facebook and HBO's YouTube site, according to Taffet. The winner also can have his or her photo on HBO.com.

HBO will back the sweepstakes with media buys on sports outlets including ESPN.com, Foxsports.com and Yahoo.com. It'll place postcards in college campuses, sports bars, bowling alleys, and boxing and sports gyms in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Miami.

For 24/7, HBO will have a “significant” presence on Facebook, HBO's YouTube page and HBO.com. Ads will run on ESPN.com, CBS SportsLine, Fox Sports.com, USAToday.com and Yahoo.com.

Ads also will run on ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, Versus, Fox Sports Net, YES Network and ****e TV, and in mixed-martial-arts-related programming and magazines and sports radio stations in the top 11 markets...

[Texanballer]

Finally they are beginning to market the younger male adult crowd

[Mr. Philadel]

Finally they are beginning to market the younger male adult crowd

Otis Thorpe was a beast on the glass....and Mad Max was deadly from 3pt. but he wasn't feelin' Clyde and missed the 2nd champaign party......just wanted to big up those 2.......2 of my fav ballers!

[FreshPrince]

I think they really stepped up the promotion for DLH-Pacquiao and set a new standard for big fights. In addition to the 24/7 I saw so many adds on tv and even in the local stores I saw posters. It brought in a lot of outside sponsors too. That's what it's going to take to get boxing back on the networks.

[FLIP_SIDE]

I think they really stepped up the promotion for DLH-Pacquiao and set a new standard for big fights. In addition to the 24/7 I saw so many adds on tv and even in the local stores I saw posters. It brought in a lot of outside sponsors too. That's what it's going to take to get boxing back on the networks.

the reason boxing is back bcuz of manny 'pacman' pacquiao, he bring excitement in a fight!!

[Mickey Gomez]

Why the hell did you post that in large purple font.

[gingeralbino]

is this gonna be on sky (uk)? Or will i have to watch it on the net?

[-----------]

Great news.

Boxing needs more promotion.

Why would people watch a fight if they don't even care about the fighters and don't know them?

After watching 24/7, I will be amazed if I see people still not going to watch the fight. Boxing fans or not, if people watch 24/7 theres a great chance they will watch the fight.

[-----------]

is this gonna be on sky (uk)? Or will i have to watch it on the net?

You really think a fight involving one of the UK's Biggest sporting stars will not be shown on UKTV?

[PaiidINFULLent.]

I don't understand the move. The fight should be great, but every 24/7 not involving Mayweather has been duds. You need someone with charisma & good public relations skills.