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Tag: Lennox Lewis.

  • Lewis-Klitschko fight delivers knockout ratings for HBO in US

    Lewis-Klitschko fight delivers knockout ratings for HBO in US

    MUMBAI: What is it about men (and women) pummeling each other to pulp that draws viewers? In India, one constant on Ten Sports’ top rated shows are World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) programmes. In the US, premium movies network HBO drew its highest audience figures for a heavyweight fight in over six years from last weekends boxing match-up between WBC heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and Ukrainian Vitali Klitschko.
     

    The fight, staged in Los Angeles on June 21, was watched in over 4.6 million homes, HBO’s best rating since George Foreman fought Shannon Briggs in Atlantic City in 1997, sportcal.com has reported. 

    Of course, the numbers are also because of the fact that unlike most big heavyweight fights, the match-up was not sold as a pay-per-view event. It is in PPV that the serious money is but that had to be given the go-by since the fight was scheduled at too short a notice to successfully promote and sell it.

     
    Lewis previous fight against former champion Mike Tyson, grossed over $103 million in US PPV sales, earning $3 million more than the previous pay-per-view record. But if viewership numbers are taken, it drew 2.8 million fewer homes than the fight against Klitschko.

  • Rivals HBO, Showtime join hands for Tyson-Lewis bout

    HBO and Showtime are coming together in an unprecedented joint production of the US heavyweight championship on 8 June between Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis.

    The pay-per-view event is being shared by bosses AOL Time Warner and Viacom with the fight promotions giving equal weightage to logos of both networks. The telecast itself will be non-branded. The nets, say reports, have declined to specify an ad budget.

    The bout has already reaped a rich harvest for the two networks with the telecast costing an all-time boxing pay-per-view high of $ 54.95, the reports add. Experts, say reports, expect the fight to break the $100 million sales record set by the Tyson-Evander Holyfield fight in 1997. This time round, the stakes are higher. It’s a fight the public has hungered for, with Lewis having twice lost his title and Tyson’s legal problems delaying the event.

    The networks say they will share the pickings 50-50, except the loser’s network gets $3 million extra to cover up for the fact that the winner’s network will later run the bout.

    Analysts however, do not expect the camaraderie between the networks to last long. Four times in the last six weeks, HBO and Showtime counter-programmed each other’s boxing shows, with fans having to keep shifting channels. The bosses on both networks however realised that a compromise would have to be worked out this time when Lewis announced that his legacy as the best fighter of his era would not be complete without beating Tyson. Lewis is contractually obligated to fight on HBO, while Tyson has a similar arrangement with Showtime. Neither side has so far been willing to let its fighter appear on the rival network.

  • Star gets in on some boxing action

    Star gets in on some boxing action

    It’s not only Sony Entertainment that is bidding to push sporting spectacle on its entertainment channels. If Sony will be pushing ICC cricket on its SET and MAX channels, the Star Network is doing its own little number on Star World and Star movies. Star has announced boxing specials next week on two of its general entertainment channels – Star Movies and Star World.

    Reigning three-time world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis defends his title against Mike Tyson on Star Movies on 9 June live at 6:30 am with a repeat at 9:30 pm. Meanwhile, Star World is all set to pay tribute to boxing legend Muhammad Ali on the occasion of his 60th birthday. The Muhammad Ali 60th Birthday Celebration airs on the channel on 4 June at 9 pm.

    Hosted by Will Smith, who played the boxing legend on screen in Ali, the one-hour special was taped at the new Kodak Theater in Hollywood, the venue of the Academy Awards in March this year.

    Joining Smith to present film clips of Ali’s legendary career are film stars Angela Bassett, Cuba Gooding, Jr, Samuel L Jackson, Sidney Poitier, Sylvester Stallone, Jon Voight, John Travolta.

    CNN chat show host Larry King and Layla Ali, the boxer’s daughter will also be present on the occasion. The show includes musical performances by India.Arie (Strength, Courage & Wisdom), Mariah Carey (Happy Birthday), Natalie Cole (This Will Be) as well as a special message from boy band NSYNC.