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by David P. Greisman - This is not about the fight — yet.
“Mayweather-Cotto 24/7,” the latest in HBO’s line of documentary/infomercial mini-series preceding its biggest boxing pay-per-view offerings, is not yet about the fight contained within its title.
That is because these series aren’t really about us.
We, the boxing hardcore of the world, were sold the moment the match was announced. This marketing effort is done for the rest, for those who aren’t immediately drawn in.
They’re not sold solely on style pairings and the possibility of a great fight. Otherwise, the rematch between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo wouldn’t have bombed on pay-per-view. Otherwise, the trilogy of battles between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez would have been the highest rated boxing broadcasts in years.
Those other people are sold on spectacle and personality, on the must-see nature of an event and on the must-follow characters who will play roles in it.
This is not about us. This is not an old-school HBO “Countdown” designed to get us excited the week before a big bout. This is a slow sale — introducing viewers to the players, then interesting the viewers in who they are, then intriguing the viewers on what could happen, then getting the viewers intent on being buyers.
Let’s see how HBO’s sales pitch via the first episode of “Mayweather-Cotto 24/7 went. With a nod to syndicated columnist Norman Chad, I took notes: [Click Here To Read More]
“Mayweather-Cotto 24/7,” the latest in HBO’s line of documentary/infomercial mini-series preceding its biggest boxing pay-per-view offerings, is not yet about the fight contained within its title.
That is because these series aren’t really about us.
We, the boxing hardcore of the world, were sold the moment the match was announced. This marketing effort is done for the rest, for those who aren’t immediately drawn in.
They’re not sold solely on style pairings and the possibility of a great fight. Otherwise, the rematch between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo wouldn’t have bombed on pay-per-view. Otherwise, the trilogy of battles between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez would have been the highest rated boxing broadcasts in years.
Those other people are sold on spectacle and personality, on the must-see nature of an event and on the must-follow characters who will play roles in it.
This is not about us. This is not an old-school HBO “Countdown” designed to get us excited the week before a big bout. This is a slow sale — introducing viewers to the players, then interesting the viewers in who they are, then intriguing the viewers on what could happen, then getting the viewers intent on being buyers.
Let’s see how HBO’s sales pitch via the first episode of “Mayweather-Cotto 24/7 went. With a nod to syndicated columnist Norman Chad, I took notes: [Click Here To Read More]
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