BoxRec

Charlo-Castano Showtime's Most-Watched Live Boxing Match Since December 2019

Jermell Charlo-Brian Castano was Showtime’s most-watched live boxing match since December 2019.

Nielsen Media Research released viewership figures Tuesday that indicated an average of 422,000 watched the highly competitive, thoroughly entertaining battle between Castano and Charlo on Saturday night from AT&T Center in San Antonio. Showtime’s audience peaked at 536,000 toward the end of a 154-pound title unification fight that resulted in a controversial split draw.

Nielsen’s numbers for Charlo-Castano include only viewers that watched live on Showtime’s linear channel because Nielsen doesn’t track streaming services. ViacomCBS, which owns Showtime and BS.com, doesn’t release figures for those that stream Showtime live.

The average and peak audiences for Charlo-Castano were the highest for a live boxing match on Showtime since Gervonta Davis’ 12th-round stoppage of Yuriorkis Gamboa nearly 19 months ago. Davis-Gamboa, a WBA lightweight title fight at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, drew an average audience of 577,000 and a peak audience of 604,000.

Before Saturday night, Jermall Charlo, Jermell’s twin brother, was primarily responsible for Showtime’s largest audience for live boxing since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020. Jermall Charlo, the WBC middleweight champion, helped draw an average of audience of 333,000 and a peak audience of 379,000 for his 12-round, unanimous-decision defeat of Mexico’s Juan Macias Montiel on June 19 at Toyota Center in Houston.

Charlo-Castano, meanwhile, was a back-and-forth fight in which each champion had his moments.

An average audience of 249,000 watched Showtime’s co-feature, Rolando Romero’s seventh-round knockout of Anthony Yigit. Viewership for Romero-Yigit peaked at 256,000.

The hard-hitting Romero (14-0, 12 KOs), of North Las Vegas, Nevada, dropped Sweden’s Yigit (24-2-1, 8 KOs) once late in the fifth round and twice during the seventh round. Their scheduled 12-round fight was contested at the 140-pound limit because Yigit came in 5.2 pounds overweight Friday for what was supposed to be a 135-pound fight for Romero’s WBA interim lightweight title.

The opener of Showtime’s telecast, an action-packed bout between Amilcar Vidal and Immanuwel Aleem, drew an average audience of 202,000 and a peak audience of 220,000. Uruguay’s Vidal (13-0, 11 KOs) edged Aleem (18-3-2, 11 KOs), of Richmond, Virginia, by majority decision in their fan-friendly, 10-round super middleweight match.

Judges Ruben Carrion (97-93) and Glen Crocker (97-93) scored their fight for Vidal. Judge Anthony De Los Santos scored Vidal-Aleem a draw, 95-95.

Peak figures still not hitting half a mil.

To be fair, most have probably unsubscribed, and who knows how many watched via stream on the app.

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑20 Jul 2021, 13:29 Peak figures still not hitting half a mil.

To be fair, most have probably unsubscribed, and who knows how many watched via stream on the app.

I think it’s going to be very challenging to compare viewing figures from as recent as five years ago to today’s numbers, for a variety of reasons.

It’s hard to evaluate the perceived “success” of sporting events, because the size of the customer base for each platform varies significantly.

Boxing is also likely to be less popular nowadays (especially in the US) in comparison to five years ago.

There are also novelty boxing exhibitions cannibalising the viewing figures for legitimate bouts.

More people watched Davis vs Gamboa.

That tells, how important promotion can be.

man, things have sure changed havent they, i remember when ggg was getting dat hate for doing just under a million vs geale or something, now numbers barely over 400k are being celebrated as the best in years, including by previous rating haters

It’s a start? Good to see it at least. Competing against UFC on ESPN at the same time and the NBA finals.

bobcatbox wrote: ↑21 Jul 2021, 10:05 It’s a start? Good to see it at least. Competing against UFC on ESPN at the same time and the NBA finals.

Let’s get it right. If this was on ESPN or FOX, it would have done over a million.

I don’t think any fight will do more or near a million on Showtime again.

Hardcore boxing fans probably unsubscribed from Showtime when FOX started taking on more PBCX

I watched the co-event & was disgusted that Rolando Romero had to use his anger, his elbows & resorted to tossing Yigit to the canvas. Romero looked as if his anger got the better of him in several instances. To me that’s not sportsman like. Romero was penalized a point but perhaps he should have lost more than 1 point during the bout? Is it anger than propels Romero even further in the ring ? Just wondering,

The 1st and 2nd knockdowns of Yigit saw Romero use an arm to give Yigit a push after landing several punches. As the commentator said during a slow motion replay Romero “guided” (pushed) Yigit to the canvas. The commentator also said “He’s a heel, not a baby face.” I guess that sums Romero up succinctly though more could be said. I can see why Romero seems not to be a fan favourite. I doubt I will watch any more bouts where Mad Dog Romero is involved.