Andre Ward draws 323,000 thousand viewers on BET

Spike has 33% more average viewers than BET. Khan/Algieri did 250% more viewers than Ward/Smith.

 

I have to admit, I have all the DirecTV channels available where I am. I had to search to see if I had BET. The last time I even turned on BET was probably when they had boxing on BET back in the early 90s.

Even if you think you have all the channels, sometimes you don't. I don't get ESPN3 on my TV, but I downloaded the app. DirecTV didn't carry EPIX when they were televising boxing a few years ago. When Khan fought on SPIKE, I had no idea if I had that. (I did.) A couple years ago, Don King started televising fights on the Wealth Channel. (I didn't have that.)

I was out of town this weekend, and I was trying to record all the boxing while I was gone. It didn't help that there were ... what ... three live cards on at basically the same time. (The PBC card on NBC, the Ward fight on BET and the Lemieux-N'Dam fight on whatever channel it was on.)

I'm sure the number of cards cut into the ratings for all of them.

 

BET is a mainstream channel, it's more known and is in a lot more homes, period.

Ward is getting what he deserves, HBO dumped him and Haymon bought the rest of the channels + Showtime. So Jay Z didn't have a lot of options to shop for a network.

 

I don't know how many versions of the Boxing/Rap experiment they're going to try to trot out before they realize it doesn't work.

They've been trying to cross-promote rap acts and boxing on cards going back 15 years with HBO's KO Nation. It always fails. Boxing is a global sport.

It's like putting together a special boxing show that just features Mariachi bands performing alongside the main event. Or another promoter just putting on some sh*t-kicker country bands alongside the main event. Why alienate huge sections of the audience?

What rapper are they going to feature when Cotto fights? Does Cotto even like rap music?

If they're going to insist on including live musical acts, do what the Super Bowl does and put on half-time shows that are a big spectacle and appeal to women or kids.

Broaden the base. That's the idea, isn't it?

In fact, many of the KO Nation cards were actually outstanding. One could argue the rap aspect of it is what came off as forced. There would be a great fight, then you had to sit through an incredibly bad rapper for five or 10 minutes, if you didn't just turn the channel.

Someone should show Jay-Z the old KO Nation telecasts and explain to him that what he's doing isn't new and wasn't successful. You shouldn't force your musical taste on people who just want to watch a sporting event.

Let the fighters play the music they want to play.

Or put Justin Bieber on before the main event and let him sing to all the 14-year-old girls watching at home. That would draw more viewers than Nipsey Hussle (I kept wanting to call him Nipsey Russell).

 

323,000??????? :rofl

More people watched the Azerbajdschan amateur boxing fights yesterday in Germany. :rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl

 

really?

bet them guys werent demanding 2 million either lmfao

 

Yes, HBO overpaid but the rating is still good. My whole ****ing point was that Ward is/was only slightly behind Golovkin and Ward is considered to be rather booring to watch.
The whole reason why Ward was on BET was because he wants too much money for an easy fight. The moment he steps it up, HBO will likely have him back.

 

holy ****.

 

LOL...told ya