BoxRec

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑06 Mar 2018, 12:53 Showtime’s Highest-Rated Fight Since Wilder-Stiverne 1

According to ratings released Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research, Wilder’s compelling comeback victory over Luis Ortiz drew a peak audience of 1.2 million viewers and averaged 1.1 viewers. That was Showtime’s largest viewership since Wilder’s unanimous-decision defeat of Stiverne attracted a peak audience of 1.34 million viewers and an average viewership of 1.24 million in January 2015.

Wilder’s previous fight on Showtime – a three-knockdown, first-round destruction of Stiverne in their rematch November 4 – drew lower ratings than their first fight (peak: 887,000 viewers; average: 824,000).

Before Wilder-Ortiz, Showtime’s highest-rated fight since the first Wilder-Stiverne bout was Mikey Garcia-Adrien Broner. Garcia’s 12-round, unanimous-decision win against Broner peaked at 937,000 viewers and averaged 881,000 on July 29.

The co-feature of Showtime’s doubleheader Saturday night, Jose Uzcategai-Andre Dirrell, drew an average audience of 730,000.

Best Coast wrote: ↑06 Mar 2018, 20:50 About what you'd expect...without the head-to-head competition from Kovalev on HBO it probably would have done 1.5 million average and 1.75 million peak.

Enlightened-One wrote: ↑07 Mar 2018, 06:03 I suspect that many people would have preferred to have watched the Wilder-Ortiz post-fight interviews and analysis than to witness Kovalev dominating a second-tier (definitely not world class) opponent in a one-sided lacklustre bout.

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑07 Mar 2018, 06:36

Enlightened-One wrote: ↑07 Mar 2018, 06:03 I suspect that many people would have preferred to have watched the Wilder-Ortiz post-fight interviews and analysis than to witness Kovalev dominating a second-tier (definitely not world class) opponent in a one-sided lacklustre bout.

Damn right I watched the post-fight interviews instead of switching over.

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑07 Mar 2018, 04:58

Best Coast wrote: ↑06 Mar 2018, 20:50 About what you'd expect...without the head-to-head competition from Kovalev on HBO it probably would have done 1.5 million average and 1.75 million peak.

I think so. To be fair. Kovalev started just after Wilder. So it was Bivol vs. Barrera that went head to head with Wilder/Ortiz.

Bivol/Barrera > Kov/Mikhalkin

Best Coast wrote: ↑07 Mar 2018, 21:31

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑07 Mar 2018, 04:58

Best Coast wrote: ↑06 Mar 2018, 20:50 About what you'd expect...without the head-to-head competition from Kovalev on HBO it probably would have done 1.5 million average and 1.75 million peak.

I think so. To be fair. Kovalev started just after Wilder. So it was Bivol vs. Barrera that went head to head with Wilder/Ortiz.

Bivol/Barrera > Kov/Mikhalkin

HBO probably timed it that way with the late start!! They know hardcore boxing fans were more interested in the more competitive Bivol-Barrera than Kovalev-Human Punching Bag.