CNN to air Mayweather-Ortiz 24/7

ESPN reports that CNN will air replays of HBO’s 24/7 series for the upcoming Mayweather-Ortiz fight. The first installment of the four-part series leading up to the September 17th fight begins August 27th.

HBO’s parent company, Time Warner, is bringing in another of its networks to increase the exposure and reach of the series to promote the bout. CNN’s reairing of the series will be the first time that Time Warner has used another of its networks in this way to promote one of HBO’s fights.

Via ESPN:

“This is a proud day for the sport of boxing,” HBO PPV chief Mark Taffet told ESPN.com. “We are delighted to see those CNN letters associated with HBO Sports programming. It is the first of a number of exciting new initiatives across HBO and various Time Warner properties which will be unveiled in the coming weeks. The exposure of HBO’s ’24/7′ and boxing to the quality and breadth of CNN’s distribution base is simply outstanding.”

Additionally, ESPN reports that the Mayweather-Ortiz fight will be shown in movie theatres:

Mayweather-Ortiz, along with the rest of the Sept. 17 pay-per-view telecast, will be shown in HD in more than 380 movie theaters across the country under a deal between Golden Boy Promotions and NCM Fathom. The suggested retail price for tickets is $25, which is less than half of the price of the HBO PPV broadcast.

Payout Perspective:

As ESPN reports, CNN will be used in a similar way to promote Pacquiao-Marquez III in November. Its interesting to note the direction of CNN as it was once solely known for its commitment to the news. I am not saying it is no longer committed to the news, but it seems like it is competing more with other news networks. The 24/7 CNN replays should help promote the fight but it will be interesting to know if it would actual equate to PPV buys. The move to increase exposure does not seem to be targeted but more of a blanket promotion hoping to reach some casual fans. The CNN replays of the Mayweather-Ortiz fight should help gage the success of the replays for Pacquiao-Marquez III.