Lomachenko-Linares Does Big Rating For ESPN

[Ruthless-RKO]

Top Rank Boxing on ESPN won the night for combat sports last night. Not only did the Linares vs. Lomanchenko main event draw a 1.0 metered market rating, making it cable television’s highest-rated fight of 2018, according to Nielsen overnight data, but the entire Top Rank on ESPN telecast was ESPN’s highest-rated Top Rank telecast of the year.

Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KOs) is a now a three-weight world champion. With this victory, he has shattered the all-time boxing record for fewest fights needed to win a world title in three weight divisions, accomplishing that in just his 12th fight. Lomachenko broke the record held by Australian legend Jeff Fenech, a Hall of Famer who won world titles at bantamweight and junior featherweight before winning a belt at featherweight in his 20th fight in 1988.

Last night’s entire Top Rank on ESPN telecast averaged a 0.8 metered market rating, making it ESPN’s highest-rated Top Rank telecast of 2018.

The main event, featuring Jorge Linares and Vasiliy Lomachenko, averaged a 1.0 metered market rating, making it cable’s television’s highest-rated fight of 2018.

The co-feature, featuring Alejandro Barrera vs. Carlos Adames, averaged a 0.7 metered market rating, tying it as the third highest-rated fight on ESPN this year

2018 TOP BOXING OVERNIGHT RATINGS ON CABLE TELEVISION

1 5/12/2018 ESPN LOMACHENKO vs. LINARES 1.0
T-2 5/5/2018 HBO GOLOVKIN vs. MARTIROSYAN 0.9
T-2 4/28/2018 HBO JACOBS vs. SULECKI 0.9
T-4 3/10/2018 ESPN VENCES vs. DE LEON 0.8
T-4 3/3/2018 SHOWTIME WILDER vs. ORTIZ 0.8
T-6 3/10/2018 ESPN VALDEZ vs. QUIGG 0.7
T-6 5/12/2018 ESPN ADAMES vs BARRERA 0.7
T-6 1/27/2018 HBO MATTHYSSE vs. KIRAM 0.7
T-6 5/5/2018 HBO BRAEKHUS vs. REIS 0.7
T-6 3/3/2018 HBO KOVALEV vs. MIKHALKIN 0.7

Main markets tuning in for last night’s event included Norfolk, VA; Los Angeles, Memphis, New Orleans and Columbus, OH. The telecast peaked during the final two quarter hours with a 1.1 metered market rating.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Good news for boxing.

Viewership numbers should be released soon. I'm guessing around 1.5 million?

[Best Coast]

Good news for boxing.

Viewership numbers should be released soon. I'm guessing around 1.5 million?

Sounds reasonable amigo...I'm sure you'll keep us posted!!

[boxing_rocks]

Top Rank Boxing on ESPN won the night for combat sports last night. Not only did the Linares vs. Lomanchenko main event draw a 1.0 metered market rating, making it cable television’s highest-rated fight of 2018, according to Nielsen overnight data, but the entire Top Rank on ESPN telecast was ESPN’s highest-rated Top Rank telecast of the year.

Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KOs) is a now a three-weight world champion. With this victory, he has shattered the all-time boxing record for fewest fights needed to win a world title in three weight divisions, accomplishing that in just his 12th fight. Lomachenko broke the record held by Australian legend Jeff Fenech, a Hall of Famer who won world titles at bantamweight and junior featherweight before winning a belt at featherweight in his 20th fight in 1988.

Last night’s entire Top Rank on ESPN telecast averaged a 0.8 metered market rating, making it ESPN’s highest-rated Top Rank telecast of 2018.

The main event, featuring Jorge Linares and Vasiliy Lomachenko, averaged a 1.0 metered market rating, making it cable’s television’s highest-rated fight of 2018.

The co-feature, featuring Alejandro Barrera vs. Carlos Adames, averaged a 0.7 metered market rating, tying it as the third highest-rated fight on ESPN this year

2018 TOP BOXING OVERNIGHT RATINGS ON CABLE TELEVISION

1 5/12/2018 ESPN LOMACHENKO vs. LINARES 1.0
T-2 5/5/2018 HBO GOLOVKIN vs. MARTIROSYAN 0.9
T-2 4/28/2018 HBO JACOBS vs. SULECKI 0.9
T-4 3/10/2018 ESPN VENCES vs. DE LEON 0.8
T-4 3/3/2018 SHOWTIME WILDER vs. ORTIZ 0.8
T-6 3/10/2018 ESPN VALDEZ vs. QUIGG 0.7
T-6 5/12/2018 ESPN ADAMES vs BARRERA 0.7
T-6 1/27/2018 HBO MATTHYSSE vs. KIRAM 0.7
T-6 5/5/2018 HBO BRAEKHUS vs. REIS 0.7
T-6 3/3/2018 HBO KOVALEV vs. MIKHALKIN 0.7

Main markets tuning in for last night’s event included Norfolk, VA; Los Angeles, Memphis, New Orleans and Columbus, OH. The telecast peaked during the final two quarter hours with a 1.1 metered market rating.

Do those ratings take into account that some of the fights were on premium channels or they are just calculating percentages of the US total TV audience?

[lazboy]

Good news for boxing.

Viewership numbers should be released soon. I'm guessing around 1.5 million?

Thanks for the info. Yea and it is good news. I was talking to a couple ufc fans the other day and they love loma. Surprised me. Maybe all those little videos with high tech training he’s releasing is paying dividends.

[SenorPipino]

Good news for boxing.

Viewership numbers should be released soon. I'm guessing around 1.5 million?

Do you know if a 1.0 on ESPN would be the same number of viewers as a 1.0 on a premium network like HBO?

Although the difference of 0.1 between last night's fight and the Golovkin bout a week earlier seems small, you would think that ESPN'S viewership must be significantly greater than HBO'S.

[gregregegg]

Good news for boxing.

Viewership numbers should be released soon. I'm guessing around 1.5 million?

Thanks for the info. Yea and it is good news. I was talking to a couple ufc fans the other day and they love loma. Surprised me. Maybe all those little videos with high tech training he’s releasing is paying dividends.

Loma has gained some UFC fans though Joe rogan calling him mabey the best boxer ever on one of his podcasts, and sparing with TJ dillashaw and dillashaws comments about how good he is. Its great because i think he is a pretty special fighter and he needs the popularity to pay people to take a fight they know they will probly loose.

[DA1]

The only thing that makes me scratch my head is why ESPN's overall ratings for boxing are so low in general. Like they are slightly above HBO's figures, but HBO is a premium network. ESPN should be doing 1.0's at minimum and 2.0 on a good day.


Then again, I think its largely the mediocre undercards that's to blame. When people like the undercard and a great mainevent is coming up, they would be telling their friends or tweeting about it, and so you get big numbers for the mainevent. But Arum keeps putting on freaking Michael Conlan whom the average American couldn't give 2 sh-ts about. Is Arum hoping to make him a star based on Conor's stardom? Most Irish-Americans are more pro-Republican than your average Irishman, they don't identify with a Northern Irishman. Arum needs to keep that kid in the UK, and put on undercard fights that are actually entertaining!! Instead of having his boys beat up whatever African or Euro bum they found somewhere. I like Loma, but all the other champs feel underwhelming to say the least!! Ramirez and Ancajas have fought cans, fortunately a decent mando in Jonas Sultan is coming up and Ancajas tried but can't duck him. But that fights on ESPN+.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Do those ratings take into account that some of the fights were on premium channels or they are just calculating percentages of the US total TV audience?

I believe its total audience share. Unless someone on here knows different.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Good news for boxing.

Viewership numbers should be released soon. I'm guessing around 1.5 million?

Do you know if a 1.0 on ESPN would be the same number of viewers as a 1.0 on a premium network like HBO?

Although the difference of 0.1 between last night's fight and the Golovkin bout a week earlier seems small, you would think that ESPN'S viewership must be significantly greater than HBO'S.

Ratings is based on share of audience is it not?

I believe ESPN should be averaging more 'viewers' tbh.

[BitPlayer]

He's really good but it's not a very meaningful record considering there are 12 belts where once they would be 2.

[norniron]

The only thing that makes me scratch my head is why ESPN's overall ratings for boxing are so low in general. Like they are slightly above HBO's figures, but HBO is a premium network. ESPN should be doing 1.0's at minimum and 2.0 on a good day.


Then again, I think its largely the mediocre undercards that's to blame. When people like the undercard and a great mainevent is coming up, they would be telling their friends or tweeting about it, and so you get big numbers for the mainevent. But Arum keeps putting on freaking Michael Conlan whom the average American couldn't give 2 sh-ts about. Is Arum hoping to make him a star based on Conor's stardom? Most Irish-Americans are more pro-Republican than your average Irishman, they don't identify with a Northern Irishman. Arum needs to keep that kid in the UK, and put on undercard fights that are actually entertaining!! Instead of having his boys beat up whatever African or Euro bum they found somewhere. I like Loma, but all the other champs feel underwhelming to say the least!! Ramirez and Ancajas have fought cans, fortunately a decent mando in Jonas Sultan is coming up and Ancajas tried but can't duck him. But that fights on ESPN+.

You Clearly have no clue about Conlan he comes from the falls road in Belfast about as Republican an area as you can get and waves about the Irish flag whenever he wins but they should be announcing him as Belfast, Ireland and not Northern Ireland if they're trying to sell him in the US

[happyNY18]

Seemed to me like it was on very early (2am uk). Does that not make it around 6pm on the west coast?? Surely later time it could have gained more viewers?

[DA1]

The only thing that makes me scratch my head is why ESPN's overall ratings for boxing are so low in general. Like they are slightly above HBO's figures, but HBO is a premium network. ESPN should be doing 1.0's at minimum and 2.0 on a good day.


Then again, I think its largely the mediocre undercards that's to blame. When people like the undercard and a great mainevent is coming up, they would be telling their friends or tweeting about it, and so you get big numbers for the mainevent. But Arum keeps putting on freaking Michael Conlan whom the average American couldn't give 2 sh-ts about. Is Arum hoping to make him a star based on Conor's stardom? Most Irish-Americans are more pro-Republican than your average Irishman, they don't identify with a Northern Irishman. Arum needs to keep that kid in the UK, and put on undercard fights that are actually entertaining!! Instead of having his boys beat up whatever African or Euro bum they found somewhere. I like Loma, but all the other champs feel underwhelming to say the least!! Ramirez and Ancajas have fought cans, fortunately a decent mando in Jonas Sultan is coming up and Ancajas tried but can't duck him. But that fights on ESPN+.

You Clearly have no clue about Conlan he comes from the falls road in Belfast about as Republican an area as you can get and waves about the Irish flag whenever he wins but they should be announcing him as Belfast, Ireland and not Northern Ireland if they're trying to sell him in the US

No I don't know this kid 'cause I fall asleep everytime they slap his fight on TV like anyone outside the UK and Ireland actually gives a sh-t about him at THIS stage of his career. Maybe when he's actually fighting someone meaningful he stops looking like a poser. Cornball came into the ring wearing a New York jersey looking for a cheap pop.

Then again, its not even his fault entirely. Arum's the one putting him on constantly on US TV, when he should be building co-main fights that are good enough that they get the audiences tweeting about it or giving a sh-t.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Seemed to me like it was on very early (2am uk). Does that not make it around 6pm on the west coast?? Surely later time it could have gained more viewers?

Yeh, it was an agreement that it would start early so it didn't clash with HBO's Ali vs. Munguia telecast. Initially, HBO were going to replay GGG vs. Canelo II on before/after Ali-Smith.. But shi!t fvcked up as we all know. They just ever rescheduled the Loma-Linares to be later.

[Thomastearns]

He's really good but it's not a very meaningful record considering there are 12 belts where once they would be 2.

Good point. These comparisons are never like for like because times change.

I believe he is technically the most scientific boxer we have ever seen. Hi-Tech indeed.

[SenorPipino]

Seemed to me like it was on very early (2am uk). Does that not make it around 6pm on the west coast?? Surely later time it could have gained more viewers?

Yeh, it was an agreement that it would start early so it didn't clash with HBO's Ali vs. Munguia telecast. Initially, HBO were going to replay GGG vs. Canelo II on before/after Ali-Smith.. But shi!t fvcked up as we all know. They just ever rescheduled the Loma-Linares to be later.

Lomachenko-Linares began a little before 6:30 p.m. west coast time. The card started at 5 p.m.

Not an ideal time to begin fights, especially on a Saturday when viewership is traditionally lower.

[SenorPipino]

The only thing that makes me scratch my head is why ESPN's overall ratings for boxing are so low in general. Like they are slightly above HBO's figures, but HBO is a premium network. ESPN should be doing 1.0's at minimum and 2.0 on a good day.


Then again, I think its largely the mediocre undercards that's to blame. When people like the undercard and a great mainevent is coming up, they would be telling their friends or tweeting about it, and so you get big numbers for the mainevent. But Arum keeps putting on freaking Michael Conlan whom the average American couldn't give 2 sh-ts about. Is Arum hoping to make him a star based on Conor's stardom? Most Irish-Americans are more pro-Republican than your average Irishman, they don't identify with a Northern Irishman. Arum needs to keep that kid in the UK, and put on undercard fights that are actually entertaining!! Instead of having his boys beat up whatever African or Euro bum they found somewhere. I like Loma, but all the other champs feel underwhelming to say the least!! Ramirez and Ancajas have fought cans, fortunately a decent mando in Jonas Sultan is coming up and Ancajas tried but can't duck him. But that fights on ESPN+.

Yes, despite it being the highest rated boxing telecast of the year, a college basketball game or a routine baseball game would easily double that number.

It's simply a reflection of the overall disinterest in boxing in the United States.

I don't think that a superior undercard would have any effect on ratings. The casual fans who tune in or are simply channel surfing are pretty clueless when it comes to prelim fighters are the undercard.

When it comes to PPV buys, Arum has said in the past that people don't purchase those cards based on the quality of the undercard.

[DA1]

Yes, despite it being the highest rated boxing telecast of the year, a college basketball game or a routine baseball game would easily double that number.

It's simply a reflection of the overall disinterest in boxing in the United States.

I don't think that a superior undercard would have any effect on ratings. The casual fans who tune in or are simply channel surfing are pretty clueless when it comes to prelim fighters are the undercard.

When it comes to PPV buys, Arum has said in the past that people don't purchase those cards based on the quality of the undercard.

I think word of mouth does play a big role in numbers. Take for example the last Wilder-Ortiz card on SHO. Those were big numbers for Showtime and even more for Wilder. Its because everyone was talking about it online as the fight went on. ESPN was never a go-to Boxing network over the last decade, but everyone with cable does have it. If you know how ESPN's talk shows work: with guys like Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless arguing over literally nothing just to get soundbites so they'd be talked about on social media, and have clips reposted all over twitter and IG. That's the modus operandi.

So it very much plays a role in bringing in numbers. I enjoy foreign fighters, but I want to see meaningful fights. Bring in more Asians who are willing to SCRAP, instead of having your champs fight cans (and ruling out Superly and WBSS), or random Conlan types who are not even entertaining nor can the crowd get emotionally invested in.

Problem with boxing promoters is they're way too comfortable everytime they get a TV deal. You don't see that in Japan for example. When they have a world title fight, they usually have 2 world title fights, overall 3 solid main card fights. They put on heavy. These PBC/TR/GBP types always hold out hoping to squeeze another event.