Boxing Coming Back to Network Television! By Chip Mitchell | January 4, 2015 | Box

[Bonzo]

Boxing Coming Back to Network Television!
During the playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, a commercial aired putting millions of viewers on notice that boxing was coming to NBC in March 2015.
As reported a while back, a multi-fight deal had been on the table between Al Haymon and NBC. It was reported that the deal would be something in the neighborhood of $20 million for approximately 24 fight dates. Based on yesterday’s commercial, the deal is done.


Al Haymon’s boxing roster reads as “Who’s Who” list in the sport, lead by #1 pound for pound fighter Floyd Mayweather. Haymon has a stable of over 130 boxers and that makes him a serious power player in the sport.
Rumor has it that Haymon has promised NBC that he will take his fighters off of premium cable (HBO/Showtime) and pay-per view and create a boxing network of sorts via NBC and its various outlets.
While it sounds great if we can have a Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, or Omar Figueroa defend their titles on free television, I’m still a bit skeptical. Boxing networks have been attempted in the past and have failed. However this is a different approach and a different era in boxing. We’ll have to see how it plays out.
I’m okay if a Danny Garcia is going to defend against, let’s say, a Ruslan Provodnikov. Or if Adonis Stevenson attempts to unify for undisputed status against the winner of Sergey Kovalev and Jean Pascal. However, if you give me a matchup of Adonis Stevenson and someone not named Kovalev or Pascal or even worse, another Garcia/Salka type of deal- I’ll pass.
Fans, what’s the point of moving big names to network television just to enrage new boxing fans with mismatches? The idea in my opinion is to allow NBC to lure new or at worse casual boxing fans in and to KEEP them watching.
My guess is that since the kickoff boxing card is slated for March, and if Haymon chose a highly rated NBC playoff game as a teaser, then there is more to follow. Hmm… Let’s see. The Super Bowl is on NBC also, right? Could we see a commercial during the Super Bowl? My money is on it.
I hope this works because it will be great for boxing. Once CBS and ABC sees that it works, guess what they’ll do? They’ll start adding boxing to their networks too. If it does good ratings on NBC, then the other networks will want a piece of that pie.
Stay tuned…

[Fibroso]

Roadblocks to boxing getting more exposure on non-premium TV http://l.yimg.com/os/388/2012/05/28/01-expert-feat-posts-70x70-png_225912.png (http://sports.yahoo.com/author/kevin-iole/) By Kevin Iole January 7, 2015 10:17 PM Yahoo Sports


Boxing has had an uneasy history with television over the past 35 years. It was once a staple, but for a variety of reasons, it has never regained its luster on a regular basis.
More often than not, television executives look at boxing as if it were a communicable disease. As a result, it's become the domain of cable and, more significantly, premium cable television.

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http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/zprOqdLtfmF6nD73mvDL9g--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTMxMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/Sports/AP_Boxing/201409132322841414390-p5.jpgBoxing matches are typically on pay-per-view, which is the case when Floyd Mayweather (R) fights. (AP)

Even within the boxing industry, few are optimistic about a return to wide-scale success on television because of the significant roadblocks that are in its way. Boxing manager Al Haymon is about to unveil a series later this year that will air on NBC Sports Network and, occasionally, on NBC itself, but expectations for it aren't high among boxing insiders.
Several boxing promoters who didn't want to be identified by name referred derisively to Haymon's series before it's ever presented a fight of any kind on NBC. Two of them, who are from different companies, called the series "The Mismatch of the Week."
Kathy Duva, the CEO of Main Events, promoted a series on NBC/NBCSN for two years before Haymon's company bought the time and Duva lost her run.
She expressed concern whether Haymon's series on NBC will focus on quality matches since Haymon has a vested interest in the fights.
"I've been told that they're constantly telling the people making their matches that their marching orders are, 'Make sure our guys win,' " Duva said. "What I told our matchmakers was, 'Give me a fight that tells me a story. Give me a great fight that has a story to tell.' "
There are plenty of land mines out there for promoters, managers and, most of all, anyone at a television network seriously considering getting involved in boxing at a significant level. But Patrick Crakes, the senior vice president of programming, research & content strategy for Fox Sports, is undeterred. Fox Sports 1 has had success with boxing since it began airing the cards at its inception in August 2013 and it's going to open a series on Friday with a new promoter, music mogul Jay Z's Roc Nation.
Crakes said boxing is far more than just filler content for the 24-hour sports network and said he thinks Fox Sports 1 can help the sport grow. He believes that eventually, higher level fights could be held on the network.
"We aren't looking at this as filler programming at all," Crakes told Yahoo Sports. "This is a significant commitment to serious, high-level, high-profile sport. Budget has always been an issue. For years, it's been relegated to pay TV, but now, more and more it's been finding its way back to open pipe television.

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http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/2Yi_gwP1khjqy5LAwCy5zA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTE5MA--/http://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/sports/2014-05-01/1ba3ef30-d0c5-11e3-ba71-21c61bc93098_KATHY-PUMPKIN.jpgKathy Duva (Main Events)

"We think there is a lot of value to create opportunity to create value in the boxing space for ourselves and our boxing partners. We're taking a look at expanding what we're doing in boxing." Budget and promotion are a major issue. Haymon is actually buying the air time himself, while only HBO and Showtime pay significant money to buy rights to top fights.
The television networks other than the premium cable networks don't pay much in license fees and frequently expect the promoter to pay production costs, which can cost between $40,000 and $60,000.
One longtime promoter who asked for anonymity said it's impossible to make it work.
"You can't make any money and you're just losing, losing, losing [when they pay that kind of license fee]," the promoter said. "Yeah, sure, it's great for them [the television networks] because they're getting programming paid for by someone else. But promoters can't survive on it."
Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti has promoted shows on virtually every network that has televised boxing in the last 25 years. He saw the Tuesday Night Fights on the USA Network work exceptionally well, but he's also seen many series begin with grandiose plans only to fall flat.
He called developing a series on a sports cable "extremely complex," but said there are ways it could be successful.
With a license fee between $200,000 and $400,000 per show, Moretti said promoters could put on great matches, make money and draw ratings. But it's not that simple.
"USA Network's success [with boxing] is based on the fact they were on every Tuesday night at 9 o'clock," Moretti. "They'd worry about who was fighting after that. They wanted to let people know, the fights are on Tuesday at 9. That had to be first.
"Then, if you can provide a show each week, you'll get the viewers. But it's so complicated. I've lived this my whole life. You have to deal with selling a show to a network guy whose boss hasn't heard of these guys. Some promoters and managers want to protect their guys and won't put them in with anyone. It makes it so difficult."
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http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/anRB.VwdfSYaQQMpRuKzDg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTMxMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/gettyimages.com/dusty-hernandez-harrison-vs-josh-20131103-011114-830.jpgDusty Hernandez-Harrison (R) is 24-0 going into the bout with Tommy Rainone (Getty)

A show like the one Fox Sports 1 is going to air on Friday with Roc Nation, which features Dusty Hernandez-Harrison against Tommy Rainone in the main event, can't compete salary-wise against what HBO and Showtime offer. But Crakes said it takes time and that if the success continues, it could build. He said Fox Sports 1 has averaged between 175,000 and 200,000 viewers per show and had a peak of 350,000 for a Victor Ortiz bout last year. Duva's series on NBCSN did slightly better numbers than that.
So Crakes said he's optimistic that boxing can be a good addition to FS1's lineup and actually increase in significance over time.
"I think it starts with what we're doing now and then slowly we figure out the economics and work toward that," he said. " … As we slowly continue to put more boxing on and we work to put more high profile fighters on, we'll attract more viewers and I think the economics will take care of themselves.
"There are a lot of ways to go about it. It starts with making the fights and having boxing on television. We're certainly doing that, and there is upside to having higher quality fights on. Working out the economics is important, but I think there's room to do that. We're going to continue to move toward finding a way to put boxing on television that is as high a quality as we can get."

[rudee]

Ahhh,, who can forget the Gillette Friday Night fights? I can remember the song vividly.

[Bonzo]

THURMAN VS. GUERRERO, BRONER VS. MOLINA, AND GARCIA VS. PETERSON TO AIR ON NBCBy Ben Thompson | January 14, 2015

http://www.fighthype.com/images/content/large/h/haymonnbc.jpg
At today's press conference to officially announce the joint venture between influential advisor Al Haymon and NBC to bring boxing back to network television, the following three fights have been revealed: Keith Thurman vs. Robert Guerrero, Adrien Broner vs. John Molina, and Danny Garcia vs. Lamont Peterson. The first event televised on NBC will take place on March 7 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and will be headlined by Thurman vs. Guerrero.

The co-main event to that fight will be Broner vs. Molina. The second event televised on NBC will feature a jr. welterweight title unification between WBC & WBA champion Danny Garcia and IBF champion Lamont Peterson, which will take place on April 11. Al Michaels will be the host of the PBC (Premier Boxing Champion) on NBC series and Sugar Ray Leonard will be the lead analyst. Only a few select members of the media were invited to attend the scheduled press conference, which has already begun, so be sure to keep it locked on FightHype.com for the rest of the day as more specific details become known.

[Bonzo]

DETAILS OF NBC'S PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS SERIES: USADA DRUG TESTING, BRAIN STUDIES, AND MOREBy Ben Thompson| January 14, 2015

http://www.fighthype.com/images/content/large/h/haymonnbc.jpg
Earlier today, President of Programming for NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network Jon Miller was joined by 6-time world champion and Hall of Famer Sugar Ray Leonard to officially unveil the Premier Boxing Champions on NBC boxing series, a joint venture with Haymon Boxing that will bring the sport of boxing back to network television. As previously reported by FightHype.com, the first event will take place on March 7 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and will feature interim WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman defending his title against former champion Robert Guerrero as well as three-division former world champion Adrien Broner taking on John Molina. Fans can look forward to another event on April 11, when WBC & WBA jr. welterweight champion Danny Garcia attepts to unify his titles with IBF jr. welterweight champion Lamont Peterson.

Along with the fight announcements, several other key elements of the PBC on NBC series were revealed, including the following:




20 total televised events in 2015 that will appear on both NBC and NBC Sports Network.
11 events to appear on the main network with 5 of those 11 taking place during prime-time.
Pre and post-fight coverage of the events.
Al Michaels will be the host and blow-by-blow commentator.
Sugar Ray Leonard will be the lead analyst.
Each boxer who competes in a PBC series bout will be subjected to rigorous, Olympic-style random drug testing by the United States Anti-Doping Agency [USADA].
Each boxer who competes in a PBC series bout will benefit from evaluations by staff physicians from the Cleveland Clinic and the PBC series will support the clinic's brain health study of professional fighters.
The PBC series will bring fans inside the ring for an immersive, innovative viewing experience with advancements relating to lighting, camera work, and other enhancement to be revealed.

[steveOtoo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6cyy_rziuk

[rudee]

Great memories! I was just a tike!
Hell, I think Gillette was the only razor blade made back then... Don Dunphy eh boys??
If I remember,,, Mennen took over the sponsorship later.

[Fibroso]

NEW YORK -- Boxing is returning to prime-time network television in a big way.
NBC Sports made official the news that has swirled around the sport for months, announcing Wednesday at a news conference in New York that it has entered into a multiyear agreement with Haymon Boxing, the company headed by powerful adviser and manager Al Haymon, and will televise the first 20 cards this year.
The series, titled "Premier Boxing Champions" -- "PBC on NBC" as executives are calling it -- will include five cards on NBC on Saturday nights, six on NBC on Saturday afternoons and the remaining nine in prime time on NBC Sports Network.
[+] Enlargehttp://a.espncdn.com/photo/2014/0807/box_garcia_jv_300x300.jpg (http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2014/0807/box_garcia_jv_600x600.jpg)Rich Kane/Hoganphotos/Golden BoyNBC is scheduled to broadcast a junior welterweight title unification match between Danny Garcia (pictured) and Lamont Peterson on April 11.



The first two cards are high-level fights on par with the best bouts put on by premium cable networks HBO and Showtime, where most of boxing's most significant matches have taken place for decades.
The series will kick off March 7 (9 p.m. ET) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas with interim welterweight titlist Keith Thurman (24-0, 21 KOs) facing former two-division titleholder Robert Guerrero (32-2-1, 18 KOs) and former three-division titleholder Adrien Broner (29-1, 22 KOs) facing John Molina (27-5, 22 KOs) in the junior welterweight co-feature.
The second card, slated for April 11 at a site to be determined, is one of the most anticipated bouts in boxing -- a junior welterweight title unification match between Danny Garcia and Lamont Peterson.
"I'm excited, man. It's a dream come true for me," Garcia said of fighting on network television. "Words can't explain the feeling. I'm just so excited for the sport of boxing. I love it. Now it's just finally getting the exposure it deserves."
NBC and Haymon Boxing promised similar quality fight cards throughout the series.
"We know the responsibility that comes with being in prime time on NBC," PBC chief operations officer Ryan Caldwell said.

“When the customer goes to the grocery store and sees USDA on the steak and wants to buy it, we want it to be the same for fans seeing PBC on the telecast and knowing it's high quality and competitive matchups.
”- Lamont Jones, VP of operations
for "PBC on NBC" Said Lamont Jones, vice president of operations for the series: "When the customer goes to the grocery store and sees USDA on the steak and wants to buy it, we want it to be the same for fans seeing PBC on the telecast and knowing it's high quality and competitive matchups.
"I think the guiding principle and guiding vision of this series is presenting compelling and high-quality matchups to the fans. ... Al Haymon has more than 150 fighters, and we are just trying to make the best fights for the fans. And if that requires making matchups with fighters we don't manage, then that is certainly possible."
Jones' statement is contrary to what Haymon has mostly done with his fighters the past few years, when they were regularly matched softly while fighting on Showtime and HBO.
Garcia-Peterson is a fight Showtime desperately wanted to make last summer, but Haymon refused to make it and Showtime wound up televising Garcia and Peterson in a pair of brutal mismatches with the explanation that it had been promised the bout for later in 2014.
Based on the announcement of the first two cards, Haymon appears to have changed his tune about tough matchups.
While HBO and Showtime pay millions for their top fights, NBC is not paying a rights fee for the bouts. Multiple sources have told ESPN.com that Haymon's organization, backed by big-money investment firms, has purchased the time on the networks for at least $20 million a year with millions more earmarked for promotion and marketing.
The headline fighters are expected to earn seven-figure purses -- even greater than what they had earned on Showtime and HBO.
"We are looking forward to presenting the PBC on NBC to develop a new and exciting platform, which will be embraced by the millions of boxing fans across the country," said Jon Miller, president of programming for NBC and NBCSN.
All six fighters were on hand for the announcement decked out in suits and posing inside a boxing ring, including with International Boxing Hall of Famers Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran.
"It's bringing the world back into boxing," Broner said. "Right now, boxing only reaches out to certain people. That's why certain people, when I walk around, don't know me. They might know me from certain antics I do, but they don't know me from boxing. With NBC coming back, it's people that don't follow boxing that can come back into boxing. This is definitely great for the sport, and they want me to be the LeBron of boxing.
"... This is what they needed. They needed me, and I needed NBC. It's 'AB' on NBC. I'm definitely ready to put on a great show for NBC. It's my time. Think about it, Showtime had [approximately] 21 million [subscribers] and NBC got 115 million. It's the biggest outlet."
Haymon, who does not speak to the media and rarely appears in public, was not seen at the news conference and made no public remarks.
All the boxers on the series will undergo "rigorous Olympic-style and random drug testing" with input from the Cleveland Clinic, Jones said.
NBC will produce the broadcasts, and the prime-time telecasts will be hosted by Al Michaels, a veteran blow-by-blow man from his days at ABC and the voice of NBC's "Sunday Night Football." Michaels will work with Leonard, but the rest of the on-air lineup was not announced. NBC is also planning pre- and postfight coverage of the cards on NBC Sports Network.
Most of the Haymon fighters who will now appear on NBC have been supported in recent years by Showtime, whose spokesman Chris DeBlasio declined to comment on the move that takes away much of Showtime's top talent, at least for several bouts.
Jones said the boxers were not exclusive to NBC.
Haymon, who manages or advises more than 150 fighters, is not a licensed promoter, so the cards will be promoted by the companies he works closely with, including Warriors Boxing, Goossen Promotions and DiBella Entertainment.