Comments Thread For: Vargas-Salido Brawl Averaged 833K Viewers on HBO, Peaks at 954K

[bigdunny1]

PBC on ESPN did 394k

TERRIBLE. Wow the grand return of PBC back to ESPN after 8 months of delays and cancellations and it doesn't even break 400k and I believe that is now a new low for PBC on ESPN. As for HBO the numbers aren't bad and actually up from their last Boxing After Dark card. Little guys like Vargas and Salido are not big in size or big in name. Good scrap but was never thinking it was going to be a huge draw 1mil draw. HBO more then DOUBLED ESPN's card that's good.

[Bronx2245]

That was an outstanding fight! The rematch with either Salido or Miura should be on an undercard of some major HBO PPV fight, i.e., Kovalev vs. Ward!

[Motorcity Cobra]

TERRIBLE. Wow the grand return of PBC back to ESPN after 8 months of delays and cancellations and it doesn't even break 400k and I believe that is now a new low for PBC on ESPN. As for HBO the numbers aren't bad and actually up from their last Boxing After Dark card. Little guys like Vargas and Salido are not big in size or big in name. Good scrap but was never thinking it was going to be a huge draw 1mil draw. HBO more then DOUBLED ESPN's card that's good.

At this point I think it's a foregone conclusion that PBC is going to get a network deal. Probably with CBS/Showtime/Spike. PBC has proven to networks that major sponsors are willing to buy advertising for boxing. The only thing in question is how much will they receive for a licensing fee from each network and which networks.

[Teetotaler]

That was an outstanding fight! The rematch with either Salido or Miura should be on an undercard of some major HBO PPV fight, i.e., Kovalev vs. Ward!

Thats actually a good idea. But with all the promoters involved it might be kinda difficult to set it up?

[BennyBlanco]

TERRIBLE. Wow the grand return of PBC back to ESPN after 8 months of delays and cancellations and it doesn't even break 400k and I believe that is now a new low for PBC on ESPN. As for HBO the numbers aren't bad and actually up from their last Boxing After Dark card. Little guys like Vargas and Salido are not big in size or big in name. Good scrap but was never thinking it was going to be a huge draw 1mil draw. HBO more then DOUBLED ESPN's card that's good.

Or, as a non-biased observer would say, Saturday's PBC on ESPN did better than 2015's FNF average (381,000) but was probably impacted by a relatively late start time, a relatively unknown main event A-side with only 8 pro fights on his record and head-to-head competition against an HBO card with more well-known fighters on it.

By the way, if the show averaged 394K, it most definitely broke 400K with its peak.

As for the HBO numbers...yes, they are actually "up," technically. The March 5 BAD headlined by Ortiz averaged 714K viewers, while Saturday's fight averaged 717K.

HOWEVER, considering that HBO scheduled the premiere of its biggest movie this month ("The Martian") as the lead-in to BAD, and considering that over 2.2 MILLION people were watching HBO right before BAD came on, an average of 717K for BAD is mediocre, at best.

[Mitchell Kane]

PBC on ESPN did 394k

That looks like the average number for the entire card (11pm-12:49am).

PREMIER BOXING CHAMPS L ESPN A. BETERBIEV/E. MADERNA 11:00 PM 12:49 AM 394 183

Still, it seems low, especially compared to the UFC prelims (though they were in different time slots).

I's rumored that ESPN will get involved in the UFC bidding, and if so, the UFC is looking at a huge number.

As for the PBC, we'll see.

[CaneloMaidana]

TERRIBLE. Wow the grand return of PBC back to ESPN after 8 months of delays and cancellations and it doesn't even break 400k and I believe that is now a new low for PBC on ESPN. As for HBO the numbers aren't bad and actually up from their last Boxing After Dark card. Little guys like Vargas and Salido are not big in size or big in name. Good scrap but was never thinking it was going to be a huge draw 1mil draw. HBO more then DOUBLED ESPN's card that's good.

HBO employee.

[Mitchell Kane]

Saturday's PBC on ESPN did better than 2015's FNF average (381,000)

Is that what we're comparing now?

PBC/ESPN Saturday numbers v. FNF/ESPN2 Friday numbers?

[Bronx2245]

Thats actually a good idea. But with all the promoters involved it might be kinda difficult to set it up?

u're right, bad idea for Kovalev vs. Ward. However it could happen on Canelo vs. Liam Smith! Make it happen!

[BennyBlanco]

Is that what we're comparing now?

PBC/ESPN Saturday numbers v. FNF/ESPN2 Friday numbers?

What else is there? There isn't much of a non-PBC comparison other than FNF.