HBO Boxing edged out Showtime Boxing in ratings as the two went up against one another for most of Saturday night.
According to Sports TV Ratings, the fight between Vasyl Lomachenko and Roman “Rocky” Martinez drew 585,000 HBO network subscribers. It drew 269,000 in the adult 18-49 category. Lomachenko scored a stunning KO of Martinez in round 5.
Showtime offered Ruslan Provodnikov and John Molina, Jr. in its main event. Molina scored the upset of the favored Russian. The event drew 465,000 viewers.
Notably, per Sports TV Ratings, the post-fight segment on HBO drew more (597,000, 278,000 A18-49) than the actual main fight. The Felix Verdegjo-Juan Jose Martinez fight drew 513,000 viewers and 219,000 in the A18-49 demo.
Payout Perspective:
The Showtime event actually did well in comparison to its last 3 events on the network. The HBO event is lower than last week’s Vargas-Salido slugfest (833,000). The dual events may have taken viewers from each other. One would have thought Showtime could have received more viewers as Lomanchenko is an up and coming boxer, but Provodnikov is more known to the casual fan due to his fighting style.
I think we all senses that Ruslan has come to the end of it, and it really looks like he has. He looks done at the top level. And to be honest, molina isnt exactly the name he would have needed to have made for a huge turnout…and lomachenko will always appeal to the boxing fans but will never be a cross over star.
It’s never a good idea for HBO and SHO to go head to head like this and split fans. The fights were good good though. Lomachenko is the truth.
Boxing needs star power to sell more.