Showtime, which historically has come up short against HBO in the ratings war in part because of an approximately 30% smaller subscriber base, won Saturday night’s battle of the eyeballs in head-to-head boxing broadcasts.
Showtime’s excellent main event — Leo Santa Cruz’s majority decision win against Carl Frampton in a featherweight WBA title rematch — peaked at 643,000 viewers, based on ratings by Nielsen Media Research. That exceeded HBO’s main event, which also put on a first-rate scrap involving Miguel Berchelt stopping Francisco Vargas in the 11th round for a WBC featherweight title that peaked at 549,000 viewers.
Santa Cruz-Frampton attracted an average viewership of 587,000 while Berchelt-Vargas did an average of 497,000. Both main events were broadcast live in the same 45-50-minute window in the 11pm ET spot. HBO’s entire broadcast peaked at 561,000 and that included a portion of Takashi Miura’s stunning 12th-round knockout of Miguel Roman in the 130-pound co-feature. HBO typically doesn't make statements on viewership numbers and declined a request for comment on Tuesday.
Showtime Wins Head-To-Head Ratings Matchup With HBO
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Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Showtime Wins Head-To-Head Ratings Matchup With HBO
No bid surprise here. The SHO main event was the strongest fight by far so I'm not surprised. I am surprised at how well HBO did in the numbers that night though.
Re: Showtime Wins Head-To-Head Ratings Matchup With HBO
I think that the two shows fed off of one another.
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Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Showtime Wins Head-To-Head Ratings Matchup With HBO
Had they have not been head to head, you reckon Frampton-Santa Cruz would have peaked a million?caldo2025 wrote:No bid surprise here. The SHO main event was the strongest fight by far so I'm not surprised. I am surprised at how well HBO did in the numbers that night though.
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SaadOffTheDeck
- Heavyweight
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Re: Showtime Wins Head-To-Head Ratings Matchup With HBO
Poor ratings all around, but it's good for showtime. Been years since they won.
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Ruthless-RKO
- Welterweight
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Re: Showtime Wins Head-To-Head Ratings Matchup With HBO
Last time they won, It was Rigo fighting on HBOSaadOffTheDeck wrote:Poor ratings all around, but it's good for showtime. Been years since they won.
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jujigatame
- Heavyweight
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Re: Showtime Wins Head-To-Head Ratings Matchup With HBO
Showtime definitely had the better card on paper, with a much more "significant" main event.
The 2 fights on HBO were absolutely incredible from an action standpoint, though.
The 2 fights on HBO were absolutely incredible from an action standpoint, though.
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Enlightened-One
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Re: Showtime Wins Head-To-Head Ratings Matchup With HBO
If my memory is correct, doesn't HBO have around 34% more subscribers than Showtime? If I'm right, then Showtime surpassing HBO's viewing figures would be really impressive considering the disparity between the size of their customer base.Ruthless-RKO wrote:Showtime Wins Head-To-Head Ratings Matchup With HBO
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Ruthless-RKO
- Welterweight
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Re: Showtime Wins Head-To-Head Ratings Matchup With HBO
That is correct, Dan Rafael said it 30% more. But again. Very impressive.Enlightened-One wrote:If my memory is correct, doesn't HBO have around 34% more subscribers than Showtime? If I'm right, then Showtime surpassing HBO's viewing figures would be really impressive considering the disparity between the size of their customer base.Ruthless-RKO wrote:Showtime Wins Head-To-Head Ratings Matchup With HBO
Re: Showtime Wins Head-To-Head Ratings Matchup With HBO
Yes. Probably. Mexico was definitely more tuned in on the Vargas fight. That kid never disappoints.Ruthless-RKO wrote:Had they have not been head to head, you reckon Frampton-Santa Cruz would have peaked a million?caldo2025 wrote:No bid surprise here. The SHO main event was the strongest fight by far so I'm not surprised. I am surprised at how well HBO did in the numbers that night though.